A ROMANCE  OF 
"ILLYGOAT  HILL 

ALICE    HEGAN    RICE 


Do  you  believe  in  love,  Doctor?" 


A    ROMANCE    OF 
BILLY-GOAT  HILL 


By 

ALICE  HEGAN  RICE 

Author  of    "  Mrs  Wiggs  of  the  Cabbage  Patch,' 
"  Lovey  Mary/'  "  Sandy,"  etc. 


With   Illustrations 

By   George   Wright 


NEW  YORK 

THE  CENTURY  CO. 
1912 


Copyright,  1912,  by 
THE  CENTURY  Co. 


Published,  October,  1912 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

"Do  you  believe  in  love,  Doctor?"     .      .     Frontispiece 

The  Colonel  leaned  back  upon  his  knees  and  glared 

at  Morley 19 

There  was  a  sharp  report,  a  smothered  groan,  then 

a  heavy   fall 61 

She  held  it  to  the  flame,  and  watched  it  burn  to  ashes 

on  the  hearth 101 

Maria  began  to  cry,  and  forgot  to  jolt  the  Boarder     .   233 
Mrs.  Sequin  paused  with  her  hand  on  the  banister  .   267 

"  It  was  a  great  wrong  I  did  you,  Don ;  can  you  for 
give  me?" 325 

"  Tell  me  quick  !     How  do  you  know  about  the  shoot 
ing?"       395 


912943 


A  ROMANCE 
OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 


A   ROMANCE 
OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 


CHAPTER  I 

IT  was  springtime  in  Kentucky,  gay,  irresponsi 
ble,  Southern  springtime,  that  comes  bursting 
impetuously  through  highways  and  byways,  heedless 
of  possible  frosts  and  impossible  fruitions.  A 
glamour  of  tender  new  green  enveloped  the  world, 
and  the  air  was  sweet  with  the  odor  of  young  and 
growing  things.  The  brown  river,  streaked  with 
green  where  the  fresher  currents  of  the  creeks 
poured  in,  circled  the  base  of  a  long  hill  that  domi 
nated  the  landscape  from  every  direction. 

In  spite  of  the  fact  that  impertinent  railroads  were 
beginning  to  crawl  about  its  feet,  and  the  flotsam 
and  jetsam  of  the  adjacent  city  were  gradually  being 
deposited  at  its  base,  it  nevertheless  reared  its 
granite  shoulders  proudly  and  defiantly  against  the 
sky. 

From  the  early  days  when  the  hill  and  rich  sur 
rounding  farm  lands  had  been  granted  to  the  old 

3 


::A:ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

pioneer  William  Carsey,  one  generation  of  Carseys 
after  another  had  lived  in  the  stately  old  mansion 
that  now  stood  like  the  last  remaining  fortress 
against  the  city's  invasion.  Sagging  cornices  and 
discolored  walls  had  not  dispelled  the  atmosphere 
of  contentment  that  enveloped  the  place,  an  effect 
heightened  by  the  wide  front  porch  which  ran 
straight  across  the  face  of  it,  like  a  broad,  com 
placent  smile.  Some  old  houses,  like  old  gallants, 
bear  an  unmistakable  air  of  past  prosperity,  of  past 
affairs.  Romance  has  trailed  her  garments  near 
them  and  the  fragrance  lingers. 

Thornwood,  shabby  and  neglected,  could  still  af 
ford  to  drowse  in  the  sunshine  and  smile  over  the 
past.  It  remembered  the  time  when  its  hospitality 
was  the  boast  of  the  countryside,  when  its  stables 
held  the  best  string  of  horses  in  the  State;  when  its 
smokehouse,  now  groaning  under  a  pile  of  lumber, 
sheltered  shoulders  of  pork,  and  sides  of  bacon,  and 
long  lines  of  juicy,  sugar-cured  hams:  when  the 
cellar  quartered  battalions  of  cobwebby  bottles  that 
stood  at  attention  on  the  low  hanging  shelves.  It 
was  a  house  ripe  with  experience  and  mellow  with 
memories,  a  wise,  old,  sophisticated  house,  that  had 
had  its  day,  and  enjoyed  it,  and  now,  through  with 
ambitions,  and  through  with  striving,  had  settled 
down  to  a  peaceful  old  age. 

On    this    particular    Sunday    afternoon    Colonel 

4 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Bob  Carsey,  the  third  of  his  name,  sat  on  the  porch 
in  a  weather-beaten  mahogany  rocker,  making  him 
self  a  mint  julep.  He  was  a  stout,  elderly  gentle 
man,  and,  like  the  rocking  chair,  was  weather- 
beaten,  and  of  a  slightly  mahogany  hue.  His  fea 
tures,  having  long  ago  given  up  the  struggle  against 
encroaching  flesh,  were  now  merely  slight  inden 
tures,  and  mild  protuberances,  with  the  exception  of 
the  eyes  which  still  blazed  away  defiantly,  like 
twinkling  lights  at  the  end  of  a  passage.  Across  his 
feet  with  nose  on  paws  lay  a  dog,  and  about  him  was 
scattered  a  profusion  of  fishing  paraphernalia. 

The  Colonel,  carefully  crushing  the  mint  between 
his  stubby  fingers,  stirred  it  with  the  sugar  at  the 
bottom  of  his  tall  glass;  then,  resting  the  concoc 
tion  on  the  broad  arm  of  the  rocker,  and  without 
turning  his  head,  lifted  his  voice  in  stentorian  com 
mand  : 

"Jimpson!" 

No  answer.  He  turned  his  head  slightly  to  the 
left,  in  the  general  direction  of  the  negro  cabins 
whose  roofs  could  be  seen  through  the  trees,  and 
sent  another  summons  hurtling  through  the  bushes : 

"Jimpson!" 

Again  he  waited,  and  again  there  was  no  response. 
The  Colonel  sighed  resignedly,  and  spreading  a 
large  bordered  handkerchief  over  his  obliterated 
features,  clasped  his  fat  hands  with  some  difficulty 

5 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

about  his  ample  girth,  and  slept.  When  he  awoke 
he  began  exactly  where  he  had  left  off,  only  this 
time  turning  his  head  slightly  to  the  right,  and 
sending  his  command  toward  the  kitchen  wing. 

A  door  slammed  somewhere  in  the  distance,  and 
presently  a  shuffling  of  feet  was  heard  in  the  hall, 
and  a  small,  alert  old  negro  presented  himself  to  his 
master  with  an  air  of  cheerful  conciliation. 

The  Colonel  did  not  turn  his  head ;  he  gazed  with 
an  air  of  great  injury  at  the  tops  of  the  locust  trees, 
clasping  his  tumbler  as  it  rested  on  the  arm  of  the 
rocker. 

"  Jimpson,"  he  began,  after  the  culprit  had  suf 
fered  his  silence  some  minutes. 

"  Now,  Cunnel,"  began  Jimpson  nervously.  He 
had  evidently  rehearsed  this  scene  in  the  past. 

"  Just  answer  my  questions,"  insisted  the  Colonel. 
"Is  this  my  house?" 

"  Yas,  sir,  but  Carline,  she  — " 

"  And  are  you  my  nigger?  "  persisted  the  Colonel 
plaintively. 

"  Yas,  sir ;  but  you  see,  Carline  — 

"  And  have  n't  I,  for  twenty  years,"  persisted  the 
Colonel,  "  been  taking  a  mint  julep  at  half  past  two 
on  Sunday  afternoons?  " 

"  Yas,  sir,  I  was  a  comin' — " 

"  Then  you  don't  regard  it  as  an  unreasonable  re 
quest,  that  a  gentleman  should  ask  his  own  nigger, 

6 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

in  his  own  house,  to  bring  him  a  small  piece  of  ice?  " 
The  Colonel's  sense  of  injury  was  becoming  so  over 
powering  that  the  offender  might  have  been  crushed 
by  contrition  had  not  a  laugh  made  them  both  look 
up. 

Standing  in  the  doorway  was  a  young  girl  in  a 
short  riding  habit,  and  a  small  hat  of  red  felt  that 
was  carelessly  pinned  to  her  bright,  tumbled  hair. 
Her  eyes  were  dark,  and  round  like  those  of  a  child, 
and  they  danced  from  object  to  object  as  if  eager 
to  miss  none  of  the  good  things  that  the  world  had 
to  offer.  Joy  of  life  and  radiant  youth  seemed  to 
flash  from  her  face  and  figure. 

"  What 's  the  matter,  Squire  Daddy?  "  she  asked, 
pausing  on  the  threshold.  "  Mad  again?  " 

The  Colonel's  head  twitched  in  her  direction,  but 
he  held  it  stiff. 

"Well,  please  don't  kill  Uncle  Jimpson  'til  he 
finds  my  gloves.  I  don't  know  where  I  took  them 
off." 

"  Yas  'm,  Miss  Lady,"  Jimpson  welcomed  the  di 
version.  "  I  '11  find  'em  jes  as  soon  as  I  git  yer 
Paw  his  ice." 

"  Oh,  Daddy  '11  wait,  won't  you,  Dad  ?  I  'm  in  a 
hurry." 

For  a  moment  Jimpson  and  the  Colonel  eyed  each 
other,  then  the  Colonel's  gaze  shifted. 

"  I  '11  git  de  ice  fer  you  on  my  way  back,"  Jimp- 

7 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

son  whispered  reassuringly.  "  I  spec'  dat  chile  is 
in  a  hurry." 

The  young  lady  in  question  gave  no  appearance  of 
haste  as  she  perched  herself  on  the  arm  of  her 
father's  chair,  and  presented  a  boot-lace  for  him  to 
tie. 

"  Going  fishing,  Dad?  "  she  asked. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Colonel,  struggling  to  make  a 
two-loop  bow-knot.  "  Noah  Wicker  and  I  are  go 
ing  down  below  the  mill  dam.  Want  to  come 
along?" 

"  I  can't.     I  'in  going  riding." 

"That's  good.     Who  with?" 

"  With  Don  Morley." 

The  smile  that  had  returned  to  the  Colonel's  face 
during  this  conversation  contracted  suddenly,  leav 
ing  his  mouth  a  round  little  button  of  disapproba 
tion. 

!<  What  in  thunder  is  he  doing  up  here  anyhow ; 
why  don't  he  go  on  back  to  town  where  he  belongs  ?  " 

"Don?"  Miss  Lady  pretended  to  effect  a  part 
in  the  few  straggling  hairs  that  adorned  his  fore 
head.  "  Why,  he  's  staying  over  to  the  Wickers' 
while  he  looks  around  for  a  farm.  Here  's  a  gray 
hair,  Daddy!  I'd  pull  it  out  only  there  are  two 
more  on  that  other  side  now  than  there  are  on  this." 

"Buying  a  farm,  is  he?"  The  Colonel  waxed 
a  deeper  mahogany.  "  Well,  this  place  is  not  for 

8 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

sale.  I  should  think  he  could  find  something  better 
to  do  with  his  time  than  hanging  around  here.  For 
two  weeks  I  have  n't  been  able  to  sit  on  this  porch 
for  five  minutes  without  having  him  under  my  feet ! 
What 's  the  sense  of  his  coming  so  often?  " 

Miss  Lady  caught  him  by  the  ears,  and  turned  his 
irate  face  up  to  her  own. 

"He  comes  to  see  me!"  she  announced,  empha 
sizing  each  word  with  a  nod.  "  He  likes  horses 
and  dogs  and  me,  and  I  like  horses  and  dogs  and 
him.  But  I  like  you,  too,  Daddy." 

The  Colonel  refused  to  be  beguiled  by  such 
blandishments. 

"  I  '11  speak  to  him  when  he  comes.  He  need  n't 
think  just  because  he  is  a  city  fellow,  he  can  take 
a  daughter  of  mine  racing  all  over  the  country  on 
Sunday  afternoon ! " 

"  Why,  Dad,  that 's  absurd !  Don't  you  take  me 
yourself  almost  every  Sunday?  And  don't  I  go 
with  Noah,  and  the  Brooks  boys  whenever  I  like?  " 

"  Well,  you  can't  go  to-day." 

"  But  this  is  Donald's  last  day.  He  goes  back  to 
town  to-night,  and  he  may  go  abroad  next  week  to 
stay  ever  and  ever  so  long." 

The  Colonel  brought  his  fist  down  on  his  knees: 
"  I  don't  care  a  hang  where  he  goes.  It 's  you  we 
are  talking  about.  You  Ve  got  to  promise  me  not 
to  go  with  him  this  afternoon." 

9 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  But  why?  " 

"  Because,"  the  Colonel  argued  feebly,  "  because 
it 's  Sunday." 

Miss  Lady  sat  for  a  moment  looking  straight  be 
fore  her  and  there  was  a  contraction  of  her  lips  that 
might  have  passed  for  a  comic  imitation  of  her 
father's  had  it  not  softened  into  a  smile. 

"  Suppose  I  won't  promise  ?  "  she  said. 

The  Colonel's  free  hand  gripped  the  arm  of  the 
chair,  and  he  looked  as  if  he  had  every  intention  in 
the  world  of  being  firm. 

"  You  see,  if  it  is  wrong  for  me  to  go  riding  on 
Sunday,"  went  on  Miss  Lady,  "  it 's  wrong  for  you 
to  go  fishing.  Suppose  we  both  reform  and  stay  at 
home?" 

The  Colonel's  eyes  involuntarily  flew  to  his  cher 
ished  tackle,  lying  ready  for  action  on  the  top  step, 
then  they  came  back  with  a  snap  to  the  top  of  a 
locust  tree. 

Miss  Lady  squeezed  his  arm  and  laughed :  "Of 
course  you  don't  want  to  stay  at  home  this  glorious 
afternoon,  neither  do  I !  Now,  that 's  settled. 
Here  comes  Noah;  I  '11  go  and  fix  your  lunch." 

It  was  not  by  any  means  the  first  time  the  daugh 
ter  of  the  house  of  Carsey  had  scored  in  a  contest 
with  her  father.  His  subjection  had  begun  on  that 
morning  now  nearly  twenty  years  ago,  when  she 
had  been  placed  in  his  arms,  a  motherless  bundle  of 

10 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

helplessness  without  even  a  personal  name  to  begin 
life  with. 

That  question  of  a  name  had  baffled  him.  He 
had  consulted  all  the  neighbors,  considered  all  the 
possibilities  in  the  back  of  the  dictionary,  and  even 
had  recourse  to  the  tombstones  in  the  old  cemetery, 
but  the  haunting  fear  that  in  days  to  come  she 
might  not  like  his  choice,  held  him  back  from  a 
final  decision.  In  the  meanwhile  she  was  "  The 
Little  Lady,"  then  "  Lady,"  and  finally  through  the 
negroes  it  got  to  be  "  Miss  Lady."  So  the  Colonel 
weakly  compromised  in  the  matter  by  deciding  to 
wait  until  she  was  old  enough  to  name  herself. 
When  that  time  arrived  she  stubbornly  refused  to 
exchange  her  nickname  for  a  real  one.  A  half 
hearted  effort  was  made  to  harness  her  up  to 
"  Elizabeth,"  but  she  flatly  declined  to  answer  to  the 
appellation. 

She  and  Noah  Wicker,  the  son  of  a  neighboring 
farmer,  had  run  wild  on  the  big  place,  and  it  was 
Miss  Lady  who  invariably  got  to  the  top  of  the 
peach  tree  first,  or  dared  to  wade  the  farthest  into 
the  stream.  All  through  the  summer  days  her  little 
bare  legs  raced  beside  Noah's  sturdier  brown  ones. 
She  could  handle  a  fishing  rod  as  well  as  her  father, 
could  ride  and  drive  and  shoot,  and  was  on  terms  of 
easy  friendship  with  every  neighbor  who  passed 
over  the  brow  of  Billy-goat  Hill. 

ii 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

The  matter  of  education  had  been  the  first  serious 
break  in  this  idyllic  existence.  After  romping 
through  the  country  school,  she  had  had  several 
young  and  pretty  governesses,  all  of  whom  had  suc 
cumbed  to  the  charms  of  neighboring  country 
swains,  and  abandoned  their  young  charge,  lo  start 
establishments  of  their  own.  Then  came  wise 
counsel  from  without  and  after  many  tears  she  was 
sent  to  a  boarding  school  in  the  city. 

The  older  teachers  at  Miss  Gibbs'  Select  School 
for  Young  Ladies  still  recall  their  trials  during  the 
one  year  Miss  Lady  was  enrolled.  She  was  pretty, 
yes,  and  clever,  and  lovable,  oh,  yes!  And  at  this 
point  usually  followed  a  number  of  stories  of  her 
generosity  and  impulsive  kindness;  "  but,"  the  con 
clusion  always  ran,  "  such  a  strange,  wild  little 
creature,  so  intolerant  of  convention,  in  dress,  in 
education,  in  religion.  Quite  impossible  in  a  young 
ladies'  seminary." 

After  one  term  of  imprisonment  Miss  Lady  es 
caped  to  the  outdoor  world  again,  and  implored  her 
devoted  "  Dad  "  to  let  her  grow  up  in  ignorance, 
protesting  passionately  that  she  did  not  want  puffs 
on  her  head,  and  heels  on  her  shoes,  and  whalebones 
about  her  waist.  That  she  did  n't  care  whether  x 
plus  Y  equaled  z,  or  not,  and  that  going  to  church 
and  saying  the  same  thing  a  dozen  times,  drove  all 
ideas  of  religion  out  of  her  head.  She  would  study 

12 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

at  home,  she  declared,  anything,  everything  he  sug 
gested,  if  only  she  could  do  it,  in  her  own  way,  out 
of  doors. 

So  the  sorely  puzzled  Colonel  had  procured  her 
the  necessary  text-books,  and  she  had  plunged  into 
her  original  method  of  self -education.  She  usually 
fought  out  her  mathematical  battles  down  by  the 
river,  using  a  stick  on  the  sand  for  her  calculations ; 
history  she  studied  in  the  fork  of  an  old  elm,  de 
claiming  the  most  dramatic  episodes  aloud,  to  the 
edification  of  the  sparrows. 

In  the  long  winter  months  her  favorite  haunt  was 
a  little  unused  room  over  the  front  hall,  tradition 
ally  known  as  the  library.  Its  only  possible  excuse 
for  the  name  was  its  one  piece  of  furniture,  a  bat 
tered  secretary  containing  a  small  collection  of 
musty  volumes  that  did  credit  to  the  taste  of  some 
long-departed  Carsey. 

Miss  Lady  had  discovered  the  library  in  her  pa 
per-doll  days,  and  had  ruthlessly  clipped  small  bon 
neted  ladies  with  flounced  skirts  from  magazines 
that  dated  back  to  the  first  year  of  publication. 
Later  she  had  discovered  that  some  of  the  ladies 
had  jokes  on  their  backs,  or  rather  pieces  of  jokes, 
the  rest  of  which  she  hunted  up  in  the  old  maga 
zines.  It  was  an  easy  step  from  the  magazines  to 
the  books,  and  in  time  she  knew  them  all,  from  the 
little  dog-eared  copy  of  Horace  in  the  upper  left- 

13 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

hand  corner,  to  the  fat  Don  Quixote  in  the  lower 
right. 

In  this  neglected  little  room,  with  its  festoons  of 
cobwebs,  its  musty  smell  and  its  sense  of  old,  for 
gotten  things  and  people,  she  would  tuck  herself 
away  with  a  pocket  full  of  apples,  to  study  and  read 
by  the  hour. 

The  Colonel  had  done  his  part,  and  she  was  de 
termined  to  do  hers ;  for  three  years  she  kept  sturdily 
at  it,  devouring  the  things  she  could  understand, 
and  blithely  skipping  those  she  could  not,  extracting 
meanwhile  a  vast  amount  of  pleasure  out  of  each 
passing  day.  For  the  thing  that  differentiated  Miss 
Lady  from  the  rest  of  her  fellow  kind  was  that  she 
was  usually  glad.  She  liked  to  get  up  in  the  morn 
ing  and  to  go  to  bed  at  night,  a  peculiarity  in  itself 
sufficiently  great  to  individualize  her.  She  greeted 
each  new  experience  with  enthusiasm  and  managed 
to  extract  the  largest  possible  quota  of  happiness 
out  of  the  smallest  and  most  insignificant  occasion. 

As  she  went  singing  through  the  hall,  the  Colonel 
tried  to  frown  over  his  glasses,  but  he  was  only 
partially  successful.  She  was  too  satisfying  a  sight 
with  her  shining  hair  and  eyes,  and  lithe,  supple 
figure,  every  motion  of  which  bespoke  that  quick, 
unconscious  freedom  of  body  peculiar  to  children 
and  those  favored  of  the  gods,  who  never  grow  old. 

The  tall,  awkward  young  man  who  had  by  this 

14 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

time  arrived  at  the  porch,  followed  the  Colonel's 
gaze,  and  then,  without  speaking,  sat  down  on  the 
steps  and  clasped  his  hands  about  his  knees.  Noah 
Wicker's  awkwardness,  however  manifest  to  others, 
was  evidently  a  matter  of  small  moment  to  him.  He 
had  apparently  accepted  the  companionship  of  un 
manageable  arms  and  legs  without  question,  and 
without  embarrassment.  His  stubby  blond  hair 
rose  straight  from  a  high,  broad  forehead,  and 
grew  down  in  square  patches  in  front  of  his  ears. 
His  eyes,  small  and  steady,  surveyed  the  world  with 
profound  indifference. 

When  Miss  Lady  disappeared  the  Colonel  turned 
upon  him  suddenly: 

"  What  about  this  rich  young  fellow  over  at  your 
house  ?  Wlio  is  he  anyhow  ?  " 

"Morley?"  Noah  crossed  his  knees  deliber 
ately.  "  Why,  he 's  a  brother-in-law  of  Mr.  Se 
quin." 

"  Not  Basil  Sequin,  the  president  of  the  People's 
Bank !  You  don't  say !  "  The  Colonel  paused  for 
a  moment  to  digest  this  fact,  then  he  went  on: 
"  Hell-bent  on  farming  I  hear;  wants  your  father  to 
look  around  for  a  place." 

This  not  being  in  the  form  of  a  question,  Noah 
conserved  his  energies. 

"  Don't  amount  to  a  hill  of  beans,  I  '11  warrant," 
continued  the  Colonel,  with  a  watchful  eye  on  Noah 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

for  denial  or  confirmation,  but  Noah  was  noncom 
mittal.  "  When  a  fellow  gets  to  be  twenty-three 
years  old  and  can't  find  anything  better  to  do  than 
to  run  around  the  country  spending  his  money,  and 
playing  with  the  girls,  there  's  a  screw  loose  some 
where.  What  does  he  know  about  stock- farming  ?  " 

"  Says  he  's  been  reading  up." 

"  Fiddlesticks !  "  roared  the  Colonel.  "  You  can't 
learn  farming  out  of  a  book!  What  does  he  know 
about  horses?  " 

"Oh!  He's  on  to  horses  all  right,"  Noah 
grinned  ambiguously.  "  You  and  I  could  n't  teach 
him  anything  about  horses." 

"Can  he  shoot?" 

"  Can't  hit  a  barn  door." 

The  Colonel  heaved  a  deep  sigh,  drained  the  last 
drops  from  his  tumbler,  then  leaned  forward,  con 
fidentially  : 

"  Noah  Wicker,  do  you  like  that  young  chap?  " 

"Like  him?"  Noah  looked  up  in  surprise. 
"  Why,  everybody  likes  Don  Morley." 

"  I  don't,"  said  the  Colonel  fiercely.  "  Here  he 
comes  now.  I  wish  you  'd  look  at  that!  " 

A  headlong  young  man  in  model  riding  costume, 
astride  a  bob-tailed  sorrel,  rashly  took  a  fence  where 
gate  there  was  none,  and  came  cantering  across  the 
Colonel's  favorite  stretch  of  blue  grass. 

"  Awfully  sorry  to  have  cut  across,  Colonel !  "  he 
16 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

called  out  in  tones  that  spoke  little  contrition. 
"  Slipped  my  trolley  as  usual  and  got  lost  in  the 
bullrushes.  Hope  I  haven't  kept  Miss  Lady  wait 
ing?" 

The  Colonel  rose  and  extended  a  hand  of  wel 
come.  A  true  Kentuckian  may  commit  murder  and 
still  be  a  gentleman,  but  to  fail  in  hospitality  is  to 
forfeit  even  his  own  self-respect. 

"  My  daughter,  Mr.  Morley,  will  be  out  pres 
ently,"  he  announced  with  great  formality. 

"  And  how  are  you,  Mike  ?  "  went  on  young  Mor 
ley,  stooping  to  pat  the  dog ;  "  did  n't  mean  to  cut 
you,  old  fellow,  'pon  my  word  I  did  n't." 

The  dog,  a  shaggy  beast,  with  small,  plaintive  eyes 
looking  out  from  a  fringe  of  wiry  hair,  expressed 
his  appreciation  of  this  attention  with  all  the  emo 
tion  a  stump  of  tail  would  permit. 

"  It 's  a  bully  day !  "  continued  the  visitor  with 
enthusiasm,  wiping  his  wrists  and  forehead,  and 
tossing  his  hair  back.  "  If  I  were  n't  going  to  town 
to-night  I  'd  ask  you  to  take  me  fishing,  Colonel. 
Hello !  What  kind  of  a  reel  is  that  ?  " 

Now  the  article  which  had  attracted  attention 
happened  to  be  an  invention  of  the  Colonel's,  some 
thing  he  had  been  working  on  for  a  long  time,  so 
he  could  not  resist  explaining  its  unique  qualities. 

"  Well,  I  '11  be  hanged !  "  said  Morley,  turning  it 
over  and  over  admiringly.  "If  that  is  n't  the  clev- 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

erest  thing  I  ever  saw.  This  little  screw  regulates 
the  slack,  does  n't  it  ?  Does  your  legal  mind  get  on 
to  that,  Wick?" 

"  It  was  a  great  job  to  get  that  to  fit,"  said  the 
Colonel,  flattered  in  spite  of  himself.  "  Took  me 
the  best  part  of  a  week  to  puzzle  out  that  one 
point." 

"  A  week!  "  exclaimed  Morley.  "  It  would  have 
taken  me  months !  Oh !  here  she  is !  "  and  from  the 
very  ardent  look  that  leapt  into  his  face,  and  the 
alacrity  with  which  he  sprang  up,  it  might  have  been 
doubted  whether  his  mind  had  been  wholly  upon  the 
matter  under  discussion. 

Miss  Lady  greeted  him  with  almost  boyish  frank 
ness,  but  there  was  an  unmistakable  flush  under  the 
smooth  tan  of  her  cheek  that  did  not  escape  the 
vigilant  eye  of  the  Colonel. 

"  Here  you  are,  Dad !  here  you  are,  Noah ! "  she 
said,  tossing  a  small  package  to  each ;  "  sandwiches 
and  hard  boiled  eggs  for  two." 

"  Put  the  salt  in  for  the  eggs?  "  asked  the  Colo 
nel,  having  had  experience  with  her  lunches. 

"  I  believe  I  did.  Open  yours  and  see,  Noah. 
Say,  Daddy  darling!  "  she  swooped  down  upon  him 
from  the  rear,  slipping  an  arm  about  his  neck  as  he 
knelt  on  the  porch  to  collect  his  hooks  and  lines, 
"  you  are  going  to  let  me  ride  Prince,  just  this  once, 
are  n't  you  ?  " 

18 


The  Colonel  leaned  back  upon  his  knees  and  glared  at  Morley. 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

The  Colonel  gasped,  partly  from  strangulation, 
•and  partly  from  amazement. 

"Prince!"  he  cried.  "Well,  I  reckon  not! 
That  colt 's  hardly  broken  to  the  saddle.  He  threw 
Jimpson  last  week." 

"  Well,  I  'm  not  Jimpson.  Please,  Daddy,  just 
this  once." 

"If  that 's  the  little  beast  Wick  was  telling  me 
about,"  said  Morley,  "  we  are  certainly  not  going  to 
trust  you  on  him." 

The  Colonel  leaned  back  upon  his  knees  where  he 
knelt  on  the  porch,  and  glared  at  Morley. 

"  Who  do  you  mean  by  we  ?  " 

"  The  conservative  party  of  which  I,  for  once,  am 
a  member.  From  all  I  can  hear  of  that  colt,  no  girl 
could  handle  him." 

"  You  are  absolutely  mistaken,  sir !  I  taught  my 
daughter  to  straddle  a  horse  before  I  taught  her  to 
walk.  Handle  him?  Of  course  she  can  handle 
him !  Jimpson !  "  he  roared  in  conclusion,  "  put  the 
side-saddle  on  Prince !  " 


21 


CHAPTER  II 

THE  Cane  Run  Road  lay  straight  ahead,  now 
white  under  the  full  light  of  the  sun,  now 
dappled  with  tiny  dancing  shadows  from  the  inter 
laced  twigs  overhead,  new  clothed  in  their  garb  of 
green.  White  and  purple  violets  peeped  from  the 
fence  corners,  and  overhead  the  birds  made  busy  in 
the  branches. 

Two  young  people,  flushed  and  smiling,  drew  rein 
and  looked  at  each  other.  In  the  eyes  of  each  was 
a  challenge. 

"  I  '11  race  you  to  the  mill !  "  cried  Miss  Lady, 
tugging  at  her  bridle.  "  Don't  start  'til  I  give  the 
word.  Now,  go !  " 

Off  through  the  smiling,  sunlit  fields  they  dashed, 
too  impetuous  and  young,  and  gloriously  free,  to 
waste  a  thought  on  that  inexorable  wheel  of  life, 
upon  which  sooner  or  later  the  most  irresponsible 
must  break  their  wings.  On  and  on  they  went,  neck 
to  neck,  the  gallop  breaking  into  a  run.  Down  past 
the  blacksmith's,  past  the  old  mill  which  was  to 
have  been  the  goal,  through  the  long  covered  bridge, 

22 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

over  the  hill  and  out  again  on  the  level  road  where 
they  still  kept  abreast. 

And  close  upon  them,  with  head  up  and  mane  fly 
ing,  came  another  steed,  free,  irresponsible,  un 
bridled,  invisible.  It  was  Romance,  pounding  in 
their  wake;  Romance,  whose  hoof  beats  made  their 
pulses  dance  in  unison,  whose  breath  upon  their 
cheeks  made  them  laugh  for  joy  in  the  face  of  the 
wind. 

They  were  almost  to  the  city  now,  having  reached 
that  slovenly  suburb  that  had  given  its  plebeian  name 
to  the  once  aristocratic  neighborhood.  Clouds  of 
dust  whirled  in  their  wake,  and  stones  flew  right 
and  left  under  the  horses'  hoofs;  men  in  carts  pulled 
their  teams  to  the  side  of  the  road  to  let  the  mad  pair 
pass;  dogs  dashed  from  dark  doorways,  barking 
furiously. 

Suddenly,  just  as  they  neared  the  railroad  junc 
tion,  the  sharp  whistle  of  an  engine  sent  Prince 
plunging  into  the  air.  Donald  rose  in  his  stirrups 
and  made  a  frantic  clutch  at  the  horse's  head,  but 
even  as  he  missed  it,  he  heard  the  clanging  signal 
for  an  approaching  train  and  saw  the  gates  imme 
diately  in  front  of  them  descending.  Instantly  he 
flung  himself  out  of  the  saddle,  and  sprang  for 
Prince's  head.  The  horse,  almost  under  the  nose 
of  the  engine,  reared  frantically,  swerved,  then  came 
to  a  trembling  stand,  as  Miss  Lady  deftly  loosened 

23 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

her  skirt  from  the  pommel,  and  swung  herself  to  the 
ground. 

In  a  second  Don  was  beside  her. 

"  Are  you  hurt?  "  he  cried,  catching  her  arm  with 
his  free  hand  and  looking  anxiously  into  her  face. 

"  Not  a  bit.  Who  won  ?  "  she  asked  with  a  little 
catch  in  her  voice. 

"Lord!  You  were  plucky!  If  anything  had 
happened  to  you!  "  his  hand  tightened  on  her  wrist, 
and  he  drew  in  his  breath  sharply. 

The  afternoon  freight  came  lumbering  by,  and 
they  stood  close  together  with  the  hot  breath  of  the 
engine  in  their  faces.  Her  hair  blew  across  his  face 
and  he  could  feel  her  body  trembling  against  his 
shoulder.  Neither  of  them  seemed  to  be  aware  of 
the  fact  that  he  still  held  her  hand,  and  that  the 
horses  were  tugging  at  their  respective  bridles. 

As  the  train  thundered  past  and  the  gates  lifted, 
Miss  Lady  turned  quickly  and  began  to  pin  up  her 
loosened  hair. 

"  Pretty  narrow  shave,  Miss,"  commented  a  red 
headed  man  with  a  flag,  hurrying  across  the  track, 
and  joining  an  old  apple-woman  and  two  small  boys 
who  constituted  an  interested  audience. 

"  I  seen  you  a-coming  an'  would  V  let  you 
through,  only  I  'm  a-substitutin'  on  this  job,  and 
was  n't  in  fer  takin'  no  extry  risks." 

"  Here,  boy ! "  cried  Donald,  "  hold  my  horse. 
24 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

The  girth  's  broken ;  I  '11  have  to  make  another  hole 
in  the  strap." 

The  word  "  boy "  being  a  generic  term  was 
promptly  appropriated  by  each  of  the  youngsters  as 
applying  to  himself,  and  a  fierce  scramble  ensued  in 
which  the  larger  was  victorious. 

"  Skeeter  ?s  it,"  announced  the  flagman,  a  self- 
constituted  umpire.  "  Git  out  'er  the  way  there, 
Chick,  and  give  the  gent  a  chanct  to  see  what  he  's 
a-doin'." 

Chick,  a  large-headed,  small-bodied  goblin  of  a 
boy,  made  an  unintelligible,  guttural  sound  in  his 
throat  and  remained  where  he  was,  evidently  consid 
ering  it  of  paramount  importance  that  he  should  see 
what  the  gentleman  was  doing. 

It  was  with  some  difficulty  that  the  new  hole  in 
the  strap  was  made,  and  to  secure  the  buckle  more 
firmly  Don  gave  it  several  tsharp  raps  with  the  han 
dle  of  his  riding  whip.  At  the  last  one  the  silver 
knob  flew  from  the  handle  and  rolled  to  the  road 
side. 

In  an  instant  the  small  boys  were  after  it,  the 
older  having  deserted  his  post  without  compunction, 
when  a  question  of  booty  was  involved.  They 
grappled  together  in  the  dust  of  the  road,  long  be 
fore  they  reached  the  prize,  and  with  arms  and  legs 
entwined  rolled  toward  it. 

Chick  was  underneath  when  they  arrived,  but  he 

25 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

loosened  his  clutch  of  Skeeter's  throat,  and  darted 
forth  a  small,  grimy  hand  that  closed  upon  the 
treasure.  In  an  instant  Skeeter  seized  upon  the 
clenched  fist,  and  was  wrenching  it  open,  when  a 
third  party  entered  the  fray. 

"  The  little  one  got  it !  "  cried  Miss  Lady  indig 
nantly  ;  "  he  got  it  first !  Give  it  to  him  this  min 
ute!" 

"  I  be  damned  if  I  do!  "  shouted  Skeeter,  roused 
to  fury  by  the  combat. 

"  I  ?11  be  damned  if  you  don't,"  said  Miss  Lady, 
equally  determined. 

The  skirmish  was  fierce  but  short,  and  by  the  time 
Don  got  to  them,  Miss  Lady  had  restored  the  spoils 
to  the  lawful  victor,  and  was  assisting  the  van 
quished  foe  to  wipe  the  dust  from  his  eyes. 

"Well,  partner,"  said  Donald  to  Chick,  "what 
have  you  got  to  say  to  the  young  lady  for  taking 
your  part?  " 

"  He  ain't  got  nothin'  to  say,"  said  Skeeter 
glibly.  "  He  's  dumb.  Nobody  but  me  can't  under 
stand  him.  He  says  thank  you,  ma'am." 

Chick  having  uttered  no  sound,  it  was  evident 
that  Skeeter  depended  upon  telepathy. 

"  He  's  a  ash-barrel  baby,"  went  on  Skeeter.  eager 
to  impart  information;  "he  ain't  got  no  real  folks, 
and  he  's  been  to  the  Juvenile  Court  twict ;  onct  for 

26 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

hopping  freights  and  onct  fer  me  and  him  smashin' 
winders." 

All  eyes  were  turned  upon  the  hero,  who  im 
mediately  became  absorbed  in  his  whip-handle.  He 
was  small,  and  exceedingly  thin,  and  exceedingly 
dirty.  The  most  conspicuous  things  about  him  were 
his  large,  wistful  eyes,  and  his  broad  smile  that 
showed  where  his  teeth  were  going  to  be.  Across 
his  narrow  chest  a  ragged  elbowless  coat  was  hitched 
together  by  one  button,  while  a  pair  of  bare,  spind 
ling  legs  dwindled  away  respectively  into  a  high 
black  shoe,  and  a  low-cut  tan  one,  both  of  which 
were  well  ventilated  at  the  heels. 

"  I  don't  believe  he  's  very  bad,"  smiled  Miss 
Lady,  catching  his  chin  in  her  hand  and  turning  his 
face  up  to  hers.  "  Are  you,  Chick?  " 

He  made  a  queer  guttural  sound  in  his  throat  but, 
his  official  interpreter  being  by  this  time  absorbed  in 
the  horses,  was  unable  to  make  himself  understood. 

"  It  must  be  awful  for  a  boy  not  to  be  able  to  ask 
questions !  "  she  went  on,  looking  down  at  him,  then 
seeing  something  in  his  face  that  other  people 
missed,  she  suddenly  drew  him  to  her  and  gave  him 
a  little  motherly  squeeze. 

The  ride  home  was  somewhat  leisurely,  for  the 
accident,  slight  as  it  was,  had  sobered  the  riders,  and 
there  was,  moreover,  a  subject  under  discussion  that 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

called  for  considerable  earnest  expostulation  on  one 
side,  and  much  tantalizing  evasion  on  the  other. 

"  It  all  depends  upon  you,"  Donald  was  saying,  as 
they  climbed  the  last  hill.  "  Cropsie  Decker  starts 
for  the  coast  to-morrow  but  the  steamer  does  n't  sail 
for  ten  days.  Shall  I  go  or  stay?  " 

"  But  you  were  so  mad  about  it  two  weeks  ago, 
you  could  scarcely  wait  to  start." 

"  Lots  of  things  can  happen  in  two  weeks.  Shall 
I  stay?" 

"  What  do  your  family  think  about  it?  " 

"My  family?  Oh,  you  mean  my  sister.  She 
does  n't  make  a  habit  of  losing  sleep  over  my  affairs. 
She  'd  probably  say  go.  I  am  rather  unpopular  with 
her  just  now,  because  I  don't  approve  of  this  affair 
between  my  niece  Margery  and  Fred  Dillingham.  I 
fancy  she  'd  be  rather  relieved  to  get  me  out  of  the 
way.  In  fact,  everybody  says  go,  except  Doctor 
Qneerington.  He  is  a  cousin  of  ours,  used  to  be 
my  English  professor,  up  at  the  university.  He  has 
always  harbored  the  illusion  that  I  can  write. 
Wants  me  to  settle  down  some  place  in  the  country 
and  go  at  it  in  earnest." 

"  You  don't  mean  John  Jay  Queerington,  the  au 
thor?"  Miss  Lady  said  eagerly.  "Is  he  really 
your  cousin?  Daddy  went  to  school  to  his  father, 
and  has  told  me  so  much  about  him,  that  without 
seeing  him,  I  could  write  a  book  on  the  subject." 

28 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  Great  old  chap  in  his  way,  an  authority  on 
heaven  knows  how  many  subjects,  yet  he  scarcely 
makes  enough  money  to  take  care  of  his  children." 

"  But  think  of  the  books  he  is  giving  to  the  world ! 
He  told  Daddy  he  was  on  his  thirteenth  volume !  " 

"  Yes,  he  swims  around  most  of  the  time  in  a  sea 
of  declensions,  conjugations,  and  syntaxes,  in  Greek, 
Latin  and  English." 

"  I  think  he  's  magnificent ! "  cried  Miss  Lady, 
trying  to  hold  Prince  down  to  a  walk.  "  I  adore 
people  who  do  great  things  and  amount  to  some 
thing." 

"  All  of  which  I  suppose  is  meant  to  reflect  on  a 
poor  devil  who  does  n't  do  things  and  does  n't 
amount  to  anything  ?  " 

"  I  never  said  so." 

"  See  here,"  said  Donald  whimsically,  "  for  two 
weeks  you  have  been  getting  me  not  to  do  things. 
When  I  think  of  all  the  things  I  have  promised  you, 
I  can  feel  my  hair  turning  white.  Having  polished 
me  off  on  the  don'ts,  you  are  n't  going  to  begin  on 
the  do's,  are  you  ?  " 

"  Indeed  I  am.  Does  Doctor  Queerington  really 
think  you  could  be  a  writer  ?  " 

"  He  has  been  after  me  about  it  ever  since  I  was 
a  youngster.  I  'm  always  scribbling  at  something, 
but  there  is  nothing  in  it.  Besides,"  he  added  with 
a  smile,  "  I  'm  going  to  be  a  farmer." 

29 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 
Miss  Lady  threw  back  her  head  and  laughed: 

"  He  wants  to  be  a  farmer 

And  with  the  farmers  stand 

The  hay  seed  on  his  forehead 

And  a  rake  within  his  hand. 

Oh !  Don  Morley,  one  minute  it 's  the  Orient,  the 
next  it 's  literature,  and  the  next  a  farm ;  you  don't 
know  what  you  want !  " 

"  Yes,  I  do,  too,"  he  caught  her  bridle  and 
brought  the  horses  close  together.  "  I  know  per 
fectly  what  I  want,  and  so  do  you.  Have  n't  I  told 
you  four  times  a  day  for  two  weeks  ?  " 

She  looked  away  to  the  far  horizon  where  a  bank 
of  formidable  clouds  was  forming: 

"  Oh,  we  all  think  we  want  things  one  day  and 
forget  about  them  the  next.  Life  is  made  up  of  de 
sires  that  seem  big  and  vital  one  minute,  and  little 
and  absurd  the  next.  I  guess  we  get  what 's  best 
for  us  in  the  end." 

"  I  have  n't  so  far !  "  Don  said  fiercely.  "  I  've 
gotten  what  was  worst  for  me  and  I  've  made  the 
worst  of  it." 

They  had  turned  into  the  lane  now  and  were  walk 
ing  their  horses  up  to  the  stile  where  Jimpson  was 
waiting  to  take  them. 

"  Don't  put  my  mare  up,"  directed  Donald. 
"  I  've  got  to  ride  back  to  town  to-night.  There  's 

30 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

rain  in  those  clouds ;  I  ought  to  be  starting  this  min 
ute." 

But  his  haste  was  evidently  not  imperative,  for 
he  followed  Miss  Lady  through  the  narrow  winding 
paths,  between  a  tangle  of  shrubs  and  vines,  into  the 
old-fashioned  flower  garden.  The  spiraea  was  just 
putting  out  its  long,  feathery  plumes  of  white,  and 
the  lilacs  nodded  white  and  purple  in  the  breeze. 

"  Here  's  the  first  wild  rose !  "  cried  Miss  Lady, 
darting  to  a  corner  of  the  old  stone  wall ;  "  the  idea 
of  its  daring  to  come  out  so  soon!  " 

He  took  the  frail  little  blossom  and  smiled  at  it 
half  quizzically:  "  It 's  funny,"  he  said  awkwardly, 
"  your  giving  me  this.  You  know,  it 's  what  you 
made  me  think  of,  the  first  time  I  saw  you, —  a  wild 
rose.  Didn't  she,  Mike?" 

iftike,  who  had  been  dreaming  all  afternoon  on  the 
porch,  had  gotten  up  reluctantly  as  they  passed  and 
followed  them.  He  had  a  slow,  lopsided  gait,  and 
his  tongue  dangled  from  the  side  of  his  mouth.  It 
was  evidently  a  sacrifice  for  him  to  accompany  them, 
but  duty  was  duty. 

"  You  angel  dog !  Come  here  to  your  Missus !  " 
commanded  Miss  Lady,  as  she  and  Donald  dropped 
down  in  the  old  barrel-stave  hammock,  that  had 
swung  beneath  the  lilacs  since  the  Colonel  was  a 
boy. 

But  Mike  ambled  past  her,  and  after  snuggling 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

up  to  Don  with  a  great  show  of  intimacy  lay  down 
at  his  feet. 

"  I  'm  glad  somebody  loves  me/'  Donald  said. 

"  It 's  your  riding  boots,  Mike  likes.  He  never 
had  a  chance  to  taste  tan  shoe  polish  before!  " 

"What  do  you  like  me  for?" 

"Me?    Who  said  I  did?" 

"Don't  you?" 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  like  tan  boots,  too.  Why  did  n't  you 
tell  me  my  hair  had  tumbled  down  again  ?  " 

"  Because  you  are  so  beautiful,  with  it  like  that, 
Miss  Lady  — " 

"  Now,  Don,  if  you  begin  again  I  shall  go  straight 
in  the  house.  What  did  you  mean  by  saying  you 
had  gotten  what  was  worst  for  you,  and  you  had 
made  the  worst  of  it?" 

"  Oh,  the  way  I  've  been  brought  up.  You  see 
my  sister  took  me  when  I  was  a  baby,  and  I  guess 
I  was  an  awful  nuisance  to  her.  She  liked  to  travel, 
and  kept  it  up  a  good  while  even  after  Margery  was 
born.  I  grew  up  in  hotels  and  on  steamers  and 
trains,  going  to  school  wherever  we  happened  to  be 
staying  long  enough;  sometimes  in  France,  some 
times  in  Switzerland,  sometimes  in  America.  I  re 
member  one  Christmas  when  I  was  about  six,  we 
were  in  a  hotel  in  Paris.  My  nurse  put  me  to  bed 
early  so  she  could  go  out  with  her  sweetheart,  and 
told  me  there  was  n't  any  Santa  Claus,  so  I  would  n't 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

stay  awake  watching  for  him.  I  hate  that  woman 
to  this  day!  I  can  remember  the  big,  lonesome 
room,  and  the  red  curtains,  and  the  crystal  chande 
lier  and  the  way  I  cried  because  there  was  n't  any 
Santa  Claus,  and  because  I  didn't  have  a  sweet 
heart!" 

"  Poor  little  chap !     It  was  a  mother  you  wanted." 

"  Perhaps.     Sister  was  good  to  me.     But   she 

did  n't  understand  me ;   she  never  has.     She  has 

always  given  me  too  much  of  everything,  advice 

included." 

"  But  since  you  have  been  grown,  you  've  had  lots 
of  time  to  —  to  —  take  things  into  your  own  hands." 
"  Well,  I  did  for  a  while.     I  managed  to  squeeze 
through  the  university,  then  I  went  into  the  shops 
and  had  a  bully  time  for  five  months,  but  it  made 
no  end  of  a  row !     Sister  felt  that  after  all  she  had 
done  for  me,  I  oughtn't  to  go  dead  against  her 
wishes,  and  I  guess  she  was  right.     Then  I  went  into 
the  bank  and  was  beginning  to  get  the  hang  of 
things,  when  she  had  a  nervous  collapse  and  was 
ordered  to  Egypt  for  the  winter.     My  brother-in- 
law  could  n't  take  her,  so  he  sent  me." 
"  But  you  stayed  longer  than  she  did." 
"  Yes,   I   played   around  on  the   Riviera   for  a 
while." 

"  And  you  have  been  home,  how  long?  " 
"Three  months.     Honestly,  I  meant  to  buckle 

33 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

down  to  something  right  off,  but  Cropsie  Decker 
got  this  offer  to  go  to  the  Orient  for  the  Herald- 
Post,  and  asked  me  to  go  along.  I  was  keen  about 
it  until  —  until  I  came  down  here." 

They  were  both  silent  for  a  while,  watching  a 
spider  that  was  exploring  Don's  boot-lace. 

"  It  all  seems  so  footless  now.  What  I  want  is  a 
house  of  my  own,  a  home,  I  mean.  I  never  had 
much  of  that  sort  of  thing  —  I  'm  not  quite  sure  I 
knew  what  a  home  was  until  I  saw  Thornwood." 

"  Isn't  it  dear?  "  asked  Miss  Lady  with  a  loving 
look  over  her  shoulder  at  the  old  house  silhouetted 
against  the  sky.  "  I  could  kiss  every  brick  of  it,  I 
love  it  so." 

"  I  wish  I  did  n't  have  to  go  back  to  town  to 
night  ! "  burst  out  Donald  inconsequentially.  "  I 
wish  I  never  had  to  go  back  to  it !  " 

"Why?" 

"  Oh,  for  lots  of  reasons.  I  'm  a  different  fellow 
down  here  in  the  country,  with  things  to  do,  and 
the  right  sort  of  things  to  think  about,  and  —  and 
you !  You  see,"  he  smiled  without  looking  up, 
"  I  'm  not  much  good  in  town." 

"How  do  you  mean?"  asked  Miss  Lady,  with 
disconcerting  frankness. 

Donald  shrugged  his  broad  shoulders :  "  Oh  !  I 
don't  know.  I  get  into  things  before  I  know  it. 
This  Eastern  trip,  now ;  it  sounded  great  when  I  said 

34 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

I  'd  go,  Cropsie  is  a  regular  bird,  the  best  fellow  in 
the  world  to  go  on  such  a  lark  with,  but  — " 

Miss  Lady  shot  a  glance  at  the  handsome,  boyish, 
irresponsible  face  beside  her. 

"Don't  go,  Don!"  she  whispered  impulsively; 
"  stay  here  and  buy  your  farm !  " 

"  You  mean  it !  "  he  demanded,  seizing  her  hands. 
"You  want  me  to  stay?" 

The  blood  surged  into  her  cheeks,  but  she  did  not 
withdraw  her  hands.  Into  her  eager,  luminous  eyes 
had  leapt  the  response  that  had  been  held  in  abeyance 
all  afternoon. 

"  If  I  stay,"  he  pressed  hotly,  "  if  I  settle  down 
and  behave  myself,  and  make  good,  you  '11  promise 
me  —" 

"  Jimpson !  "  thundered  a  familiar  voice  from  the 
road.  "  That  good-for-nothing,  lazy  nigger,  why 
don't  he  come  help  me  with  these  things?  Jimp- 
son!" 

"  I  '11  tell  him,  Dad !  "  called  Miss  Lady,  spring 
ing  from  the  hammock. 

"But  wait!"  pleaded  Donald,  "  just  a  minute. 
I  've  got  to  beat  that  storm  to  town,  and  tell  Decker 
the  trip  is  off.  But  I'll  be  back  in  the  morning! 
Perhaps  to  breakfast.  Oh,  my  darling,  I  am  so 
happy !  Say  you  love  me !  Say  it !  " 

Old  Mike  stirred  in  his  slumbers,  then  opened  one 
eye.  It  was  evidently  time  for  him  to  take  some 

35 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

action.  When  two  young  people  are  standing  very 
close  \vith  clasped  hands  and  love-lit  eyes  in  the  dim 
fragrance  of  an  old  garden,  even  a  dog  of  a  chaperon 
knows  that  it  is  time  to  interfere!  With  great 
presence  of  mind  he  discovered  an  imaginary  squir 
rel  in  the  hedge  directly  beside  them,  and  set  up 
such  a  furious  barking  that  Miss  Lady  looked 
around  and  laughed.  For  a  second  she  stood,  her 
head  thrown  back,  a  teasing,  half-shy,  half -daring 
look  on  her  face,  then  she  dropped  a  swift  kiss  on  the 
hand  that  clasped  hers,  and  without  a  word  went 
flying  crimson-cheeked  up  the  lilac-bordered  path. 


CHAPTER    III 

DONALD  MORLEY  rode  back  to  town  through 
the  coming  storm,  in  that  particular  state  of 
ecstasy  that  mortals  are  permitted  to  enjoy  but  once 
in  a  lifetime.  Not  that  falling  in  love  was  a  novel 
sensation;  on  the  contrary  a  varied  experience  had 
made  him  agreeably  familiar  with  all  the  symptoms. 
But  this,  he  assured  himself  with  passionate  vehe 
mence,  was  something  altogether  and  absolutely  dif 
ferent.  Between  now  and  that  morning  when  he 
had  idly  ridden  out  to  Wicker's  in  search  of  a  farm, 
lay  a  sea  as  wide  as  Destiny ! 

There  in  the  country  he  had  unexpectedly  come 
upon  his  fate  and  with  characteristic  impetuosity  had 
pursued  and  overtaken  it.  Other  girls  may  have 
stirred  his  heart,  but  it  had  remained  for  a  wild  little 
pagan  of  the  woods  to  stir  his  soul.  He  had  laid 
bare  to  her  the  most  secret  places  of  his  being,  had 
confessed  his  sins,  and  received  absolution.  From 
this  time  on  the  frivolities  of  youth  lay  behind  him, 
and  ambition  sat  upon  his  brow.  He  would  cut 
out  the  trip  to  the  Orient,  buy  a  farm  and  settle 
down  to  work  as^if  he  had  n't  a  penny  in  the  world. 

37 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Once  the  Colonel  was  made  to  recognize  his  worth, 
the  gates  of  Paradise  would  be  open! 

He  thought  of  the  home  he  would  build  for  her, 
and  the  flowers  that  would  encompass  it,  of  the 
horses  and  dogs  they  would  have  and  perhaps — 
The  memory  of  her  face  as  she  clasped  Chick  in 
the  road  flashed  over  him,  and  he  straightened  his 
shoulders  suddenly  and  smiled  almost  tremulously. 
Yes,  he  'd  be  worthy  of  her,  from  this  time  for 
ward  life  should  hold  no  higher  privilege! 

It  was  after  seven  o'clock  by  the  time  he  reached 
the  Junction,  and  heavy  mutterings  of  thunder 
could  be  heard  in  the  west. 

"  Does  this  street  go  through  to  the  boulevard?  " 
he  asked  of  a  man,  pointing  with  his  knobless  whip. 

The  lank  person  addressed  removed  his  weight 
from  the  telegraph  pole  that  had  supported  it  and 
sauntered  forward.  As  he  did  so  Donald  recog 
nized  the  red-headed  umpire  of  the  afternoon. 

"  No,  sir,  Captain,"  he  said,  "  it  do  not.  This 
here  is  Bean  Alley.  These  city  politicians  has  got 
their  own  way  of  running  streets;  they  take  a  pencil 
you  see  and  draw  a  line  along  the  property  of  folks 
that  can  pay  for  streets.  The  balance  of  us  sets  in 
mud  puddles."  The  man  evidently  found  some 
difficulty  in  expressing  himself  without  the  assistance 
of  profanity.  There  were  blanks  left  between  the 
words,  which  he  supplied  mentally  with  compressed 

38 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

lips  and  lifting  of  shaggy  brows,  that  served  as  an 
effective  substitute.  His  conversation  printed  would 
resemble  these  grammatical  exercises,  struggled 

with  an  early  youth,  in  which  "  a dog 

attacked  a boy  with  a stick." 

But  his  suppressed  eloquence  was  lost  upon  his 
hearer,  for  Donald  had  become  absorbed  in  a 
theatrical  poster,  which  represented  a  preternaturally 
slim  young  lady,  poised  on  a  champagne  bottle, 
coyly  surveying  an  admiring  world  through  the  ex 
tended  fingers  of  a  small  black  gloved  hand.  It 
was  "  La  Florine,"  whose  charms  he  had  heard 
recounted  times  without  number  by  Mr.  Cropsie 
Decker. 

This  evening,  the  poster  announced,  "  La  Flor 
ine  "  would  for  the  first  time  in  any  American  city, 
perform  her  incomparable  dance,  "  The  Serpent  of 
the  Nile." 

Don  had  consulted  his  watch,  and  made  a  light 
ning  calculation  as  to  the  time  in  which  he  could 
get  a  bite  of  supper  and  reach  the  Gayety,  before  he 
remembered  that  he  was  a  reformed  character. 
Then  he  sternly  withdrew  his  gaze  from  the  lady 
who  peeped  through  her  fingers  in  the  dusk,  and 
brought  it  back  to  the  red-headed  person,  who  had 
continued  his  conversation  with  unbroken  volubil 
ity. 

"...  and  she  says  to  me,"  he  was  concluding 

39 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  *  Mr.  Flathers/  she  says,  *  it 's  a  privelege  to  help 
such  as  you.  A  man  what 's  been  in  the  gutter 
times  without  number,  and  bore  the  awful  horrors 
of  delirium  tremins  four  times  and  still  can  feel 
the  stirrings  of  Christianity  in  his  bosom.'  ' 

Donald  looked  at  him  and  laughed.  Here  was 
evidently  a  fellow  sinner. 

"  So  you've  straightened  up,  have  you?  How 
does  it  feel?" 

Mr.  Flathers  cast  a  sidelong  glance  upward  as  if 
to  size  up  the  handsome  young  gentleman  on  horse 
back. 

"  Mighty  depressin',"  he  confessed,  "  with  a  thirst 
that 's  been  accumulatin'  for  weeks  and  weeks,  and 
a  sick  wife,  and  a  adobted  child  that  ain't  spoke  a 
word  for  seven  years.  But  I  'm  restin'  on  the  Lord. 
He  well  pervide." 

"  Oh,  you  '11  get  along !  "  said  Don,  feeling  un 
commonly  lenient  toward  his  fellow  men.  "  Here  's 
a  dollar  if  that  will  help  you  out  a  bit." 

"  It  will,"  said  Mr.  Flathers  reassuringly ;  "  it 
undoubedly  will.  I  got  much  to  be  thankful  for, 
I  know  that.  Fer  instance  I  never  was  a  poor  re 
lation!  That's  more  than  lots  of  men  kin  say! 
The  fact  are,  there  ain't  airy  one  in  my  whole  fam 
ily  connection  what 's  got  any  more  'n  I  have !  " 

The  shower  that  had  been  threatening  began  now 
in  earnest,  and  Donald  started  toward  town  at  a 

40 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

brisk  canter,  but  before  he  had  gone  two  squares  the 
rain  was  driving  in  sheets  across  the  street,  and  he 
was  obliged  to  dismount  and  seek  shelter  in  the 
doorway  of  an  isolated  building  that  stood  at  the  end 
of  the  common.  It  was  a  double  door  with  the 
upper  parts  in  colored  glass,  on  which  was  boldly 
lettered, 

The  CANT-PASS-IT  SALOON. 

In  one  of  the  windows  a  placard  informed  the 
famishing  residents  of  Billy-goat  Hill  that  their 
thirst  might  not  be  assuaged  until  after  twelve 
o'clock  on  Sunday  night. 

As  Donald  stood  in  the  doorway,  an  automobile 
turned  the  corner  and  came  to  a  stop,  the  lights 
from  the  lamps  shining  on  the  wet  street,  and  throw 
ing  everything  outside  their  radius  into  sudden  dark 
ness. 

A  man  got  out  of  the  machine  and  ran  for 
shelter.  He  was  coughing,  and  held  his  collar  close 
about  his  throat. 

"  Why,  hello,  Dillingham,"  said  Morley,  recogniz 
ing  him.  "  How  did  you  get  out  here?  " 

"  Joy-riding,"  said  Dillingham  with  a  curl  of  his 
lip.  "  Tried  to  make  a  short  cut,  and  got  marooned. 
What  are  you  doing  here?  " 

"  I  've  been  out  in  the  country  for  a  couple  of 

41 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

weeks.  Got  caught  in  the  shower.  What 's  the 
matter  ?  Are  you  sick  ?  " 

Dillingham  was  leaning  against  the  door  jamb, 
shivering.  He  was  a  short,  sallow,  delicate-looking 
young  fellow  with  self-explanatory  puffs  under  his 
somewhat  prominent  eyes. 

"  Chilled  to  the  bone,"  he  chattered.  "  I  've  got  to 
get  something  to  warm  me  up.  Is  this  a  saloon?  " 

"  Yes,  but  it 's  closed.  Won't  be  open  until 
midnight/' 

Mr.  Dillingham  made  a  sweeping  condemnation  of 
a  city  administration  that  would  countenance  such 
a  proceeding,  then  set  his  wits  to  work  to  evade  the 
law. 

"  Whose  joint  is  this,  anyhow  ?  "  he  asked,  glan 
cing  up.  "  Sheeley's?  Why,  of  course.  I  've  been 
out  here  to  prize  rights.  He  lives  somewhere  around 
here.  Ugh !  but  I  'm  cold.  I  '11  be  a  corpse  this  time 
next  week  if  I  don't  head  off  this  chill.  Let 's  look 
him  up  and  get  a  drink." 

Donald  hesitated  to  spring  the  news  of  his  refor 
mation  upon  one  who  was  already  in  a  weakened  con 
dition.  He  assured  himself  that  he  would  refuse 
when  the  time  came.  In  the  meanwhile  no  reason 
presented  itself  for  refusing  to  assist  his  friend  in 
quest  of  a  life-preserver. 

"  Sheeley  used  to  live  in  one  of  those  shacks  over 
there.  It 's  letting  up  a  bit,  suppose  we  go  over?  " 

42 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

proposed  Dillingham,  shaking  the  water  out  of  his 
cap. 

"Been  out  to  the  house  to-day?"  asked  Donald 
as  they  splashed  through  the  mud. 

"  Just  came  from  there.  The  truth  is  Margery 
and  I  have  fixed  things  up  at  last.  Any  congratu 
lations?" 

"  To  be  sure,"  said  Donald,  extending  a  wet  hand, 
but  frowning  into  the  darkness.  "  Have  you  told 
my  sister?  " 

"Mrs.  Sequin?"  Dillingham  smiled  with  supe 
rior  amusement.  "  I  guess  she  didn't  have  to  be 
told.  I  imagine  she  thought  of  it  before  we  did. 
Rather  keen  on  me,  you  know,  from  the  start." 

Donald  drew  in  his  breath  but  said  nothing.  Had 
it  not  been  true,  how  he  would  have  enjoyed  punch 
ing  Dill's  head ! 

"  You  get  off  to  the  Orient  this  week,  I  suppose," 
went  on  Dillingham.  "  Lucky  devil !  Decker 
asked  me  to  go  along.  If  it  hadn't  been  for  the 
paternal  grandparent  I  'd  have  gone  in  a  minute,  but 
he  put  his  foot  down.  When  do  you  sail  ?  " 

"  I  've  given  up  the  trip.  I  'm  going  to  buy  a 
farm  out  near  the  Wickers',  and  get  down  to  work." 

Dillingham  whistled  incredulously : 

"Yes,  I  see  you  doing  it!  You  are  counting  on 
pulling  off  the  Derby,  I  suppose?" 

"  No,  I  'm  not  going  to  enter  my  horse." 

43 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  What!  Why  Lickety-Split  could  win  that  race 
in  a  walk.  All  the  crowd  say  you  stand  to  win. 
Here,  this  is  the  shanty ;  at  least  it 's  where  he  used 
to  live." 

A  bright  light  streamed  from  the  uncurtained 
window  of  a  small  cottage,  revealing  a  family  group 
within.  A  fat,  smiling  woman  in  curl  papers,  with 
a  baby  in  her  arms,  and  six  youngsters  in  varying 
stages  of  Sabbath  cleanliness,  hung  upon  the  words 
of  a  man  who  sat  in  a  large,  plush  self -rocker,  and 
read  from  a  highly  colored  picture  book.  In  the 
head  of  the  family  Dillingham  recognized  Richard 
Sheeley,  ex-pugilist,  and  present  proprietor  of  the 
Cant-Pass-It. 

"Well,  if  it  ain't  Mr.  Dillingham!"  exclaimed 
Sheeley,  throwing  open  the  door  in  answer  to  their 
knock.  "Soaked  through,  ain't  you?  Little 
somethin'  to  warm  you  up?  Sure.  Just  come  in 
and  wait  'til  I  git  on  my  shoes  and  find  an  umbrella 
and  I  '11  go  over  with  you.  Don't  keep  a  drop  here," 
he  added  in  a  whisper,  behind  a  hand  so  large  that  he 
evidently  regarded  it  as  sound  proof.  "  Missus 
won't  stand  fer  it,  'count  of  the  kids,  eh?  " 

"  That 's  him,  Ma,  the  one  I  was  telling  you 
about,"  Richard  Sheeley,  Jr.,— yclept  "  Skeeter  " — 
tugged  at  his  mother's  sleeve,  nodding  his  head  at 
Donald,  who  was  making  love  to  the  smallest  and 
shyest  of  the  daughters  of  the  house. 

44 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  She  ain't  as  meek  as  she  looks !  "  Mrs.  Sheeley 
was  saying,  as  she  tried  to  get  the  child  from  be 
hind  her  skirts.  "  She  's  got  her  popper's  temper 
along  with  his  smartness.  They  ain't  either  one 
of  them  got  a  grain  of  sense  when  they  git  mad.  I 
never  seen  a  child  with  such  a  temper,  did  you, 
Popper?" 

But  Sheeley  did  not  heed  her;  he  was  busy  do 
ing  the  honors  to  one  he  evidently  considered  an 
honored  guest. 

"  Sit  right  down  here,  Mr.  Dillingham,  lemme 
take  the  book  out  of  the  chair.  I  was  just  reading 
to  the  Missus  and  the  kids  a  book  Skeeter  brought 
home  from  Sunday  School,  all  about  Dan'l  and  the 
lions'  den.  Tall  tale  that,  Mr.  Dillingham.  About 
one  of  the  raciest  animal  articles  I  ever  come 
acrost." 

When  they  were  ready  to  go,  Mrs.  Sheeley  fol 
lowed  them  anxiously  to  the  door. 

"It's  a  awful  stormy  night,  Popper;  you  ain't 
going  to  stay,  are  you  ?  " 

"  Not  long.  I  '11  be  back  to  finish  the  story.  So 
long,  kids !  "  He  swung  himself  down  the  wooden  • 
steps,  between  his  two  well-groomed  companions, 
looking  back  now  and  then  at  the  bright,  open  door 
way,  where  the  smiling  fat  woman  stood  surrounded 
by  half  a  dozen  tow-headed  children. 

Just  as  they  reached  the  saloon,  the  storm,  which 

45 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

had  evidently  only  paused  for  breath,  broke  in  all 
its  fury.  The  thunder  rolled  nearer  and  flashes 
of  lightning  pierced  the  darkness. 

"Here!  The  side  door!"  shouted  Sheeley. 
"  Wait  till  I  strike  a  match.  I  '11  take  the  umbrella. 
Go  right  up-stairs,  if  you  don't  mind.  I  want  you 
to  see  the  improvements  I  been  making.  There 
ain't  a  saloon  this  side  the  city  limits  that 's  got  the 
'quipment  for  sparring  matches  mine  has." 

"  Get  busy  with  some  whisky  in  the  meanwhile," 
reminded  Dillingham  sharply ;  "  and  I  say,  can't  you 
make  a  fire  somewhere  ?  I  'm  chattering  like  an 
idiot." 

"  Sure  I  can.  There  's  a  stove  up  there,  and  a 
bottle  or  two  of  extra  fine  liquor.  Jes'  step  right 
up." 

Half  way  up  the  ill-lighted  stairs  they  paused. 
Above  the  wind  and  the  rain,  a  curious  sound  had 
come  from  below  as  if  someone  had  stumbled 
against  something. 

"Who  is  that?"  Sheeley  demanded  sharply, 
leaning  over  the  banister  and  peering  down  into  the 
gloom. 

No  answer  came,  but  a  draught  of  wind  blew  in 
from  somewhere,  swaying  the  gas-jet. 

"  Oh !  it 's  a  window  that 's  left  open,"  said  Shee 
ley.  "  That  fool  bartender!  I  '11  just  go  down  and 
fasten  it." 

46 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

The  lock  proved  stubborn,  and  it  was  with  some 
difficulty  that  he  forced  it  into  place.  Meanwhile 
the  two  young  men  had  lit  the  gas  in  the  large 
upper  room  and  were  inspecting  the  elevated  stage 
where  boxers  were  wont  to  engage  surreptitiously 
in  the  noble  art  of  self-defense. 

"  Take  yours  straight  I  believe,  Mr.  Dillingham  ?  " 
said  Sheeley,  rejoining  them;  "an'  yer  gentleman 
friend?" 

"  Nothing  for  me,"  said  Morley  with  unnecessary 
firmness.  "  I  '11  just  wait  a  second  until  the  storm 
lets  up,  then  be  off  to  town." 

"  Do  any  boxing  these  days,  Dick?"  asked  Dil 
lingham,  pouring  himself  a  second  drink  of  whisky, 
as  he  hovered  over  the  newly  kindled  fire. 

"  Oh !  I  don  the  mitts  occasionally  to  gratify  me 
friends.  My  long  suit  these  days  is  faro;  more 
money  in  it." 

Donald,  standing  at  the  window,  staring  out  at 
the  wild  night,  drummed  impatiently  on  the  pane. 

"  Hurry  up,  Dill,"  he  said.  "  I  don't  want  to 
keep  my  mare  standing  so  long  in  the  rain." 

"  Your  mare  be  hanged,"  said  Dillingham ;  "  just 
wait  ten  minutes  until  I  get  thawed  out,  and  I  '11  go 
with  you." 

Donald  had  waited  ten  minutes  for  Dill  before, 
but  never  with  the  present  sense  of  responsibility, 
born  of  his  new  connection  with  the  family.  He 

47 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

knew  that  his  only  chance  of  getting  him  home  was 
to  humor  him. 

How  the  wind  whistled  across  the  window !  He 
wondered  what  Miss  Lady  was  doing?  Was  she 
sitting  by  the  table  in  the  cozy  living-room  at 
Thornwood,  with  the  lamplight  on  her  hair  ?  Was 
she  at  the  harpsichord,  singing  to  the  Colonel  ?  Was 
she  standing,  as  he  was  standing,  at  the  window, 
peering  out  into  the  wild  night,  and  thinking, — 
and  longing  —  ? 

"  What 's  the  matter  with  a  little  game  of 
poker?"  asked  Sheeley,  lightly  running  a  deck  of 
cards  up  the  length  of  his  arm  and  reversing  them 
with  a  deftness  that  spoke  of  long  familiarity. 

"  Great  idea ! "  exclaimed  Dillingham  expan 
sively.  "Just  pass  that  bottle,  will  you?  What's 
that,  Morley  ?  Have  n't  got  time  ?  What  in  thun 
der  's  the  matter  with  you  to-night  ?  " 

Donald  retorted,  with  great  dignity,  that  nothing 
in  thunder  was  the  matter  with  him,  except  that  he 
wanted  to  get  back  to  town. 

"  Better  not  start  with  it  storming  like  this," 
urged  Sheeley,  as  a  crash  of  thunder  shook  the  win 
dows.  "  It  11  let  up  soon." 

"Tell  you  what  I'll  do!"  said  Dillingham,  put 
ting  an  arm  across  Donald's  shoulder  affection 
ately,  and  speaking  a  trifle  unsteadily.  "If  you  '11 
play  a  couple  of  games  I  '11  go  home  with  you  — 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

You  ought  to  be  willing  to  do  that  for  a  fellow 
that  ?s  going  to  be  your  uncle.  I  mean  your 
nephew." 

"  And  you  '11  go  the  minute  the  rain  lets  up  ?  " 

"  Yes,  if  you  '11  play  with  us." 

Donald  stood  irresolute,  watching  Dillingham's 
thin,  unsteady  fingers  shuffle  the  cards.  He  must 
get  him  home  somehow,  for  Margery's  sake.  Dill 
never  knew  when  to  stop,  he  was  good  for  the  night 
unless  somebody  intervened. 

Sheeley  caught  his  eye  and  nodded  significantly. 

"  All  right !  "  said  Donald,  dropping  into  the  va 
cant  chair.  "  Only  two  games  remember !  No 
whisky,  thanks.  What 's  the  ante  ?  " 


49 


CHAPTER  IV 

WHEN  Miss  Lady  had  championed  the  cause 
of  the  oppressed  that  afternoon,  she  had  un 
knowingly  spoiled  a  criminal  in  the  making.  Chick 
Flathers,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eleven,  had  been 
so  impressed  by  the  injustice  of  social  conditions 
that  he  had  dedicated  himself  to  a  life  of  crime. 
He  had  already  achieved  two  appearances  in  the 
Juvenile  Court,  and  two  days  in  the  Detention 
Home.  He  was  now  fully  decided  to  be  a  burglar. 

To  be  sure  there  were  extenuating  circumstances 
for  Chick.  It  was  unquestionably  a  handicap  to 
have  opened  his  eyes  for  the  first  time  in  an  ash 
barrel,  and  in  Mr.  Flathers'  ash  barrel  at  that.  The 
transfer  in  a  patrol  wagon  to  an  incubator  in  the 
City  Hospital  had  been  the  next  move,  hence  back 
to  Mr.  Flathers'  who,  inasmuch  as  it  was  his  ash 
barrel,  felt  called  upon  by  Providence  to  adopt  the 
foundling. 

The  next  misfortune  that  befell  him  was  in  being 
dropped  out  of  the  window  on  his  head,  during  one 
of  Maria  Flathers'  absent-minded  moments.  This 
apparently  did  not  affect  his  head,  but  in  time  it  se- 

50 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

riously  affected  his  speech.  The  fact  that  he  had  so 
much  to  say,  without  being  able  to  say  it,  resulted 
in  a  dammed-up  current  that  sometimes  overflowed 
in  temper  and  viciousness.  He  talked  a  great  deal, 
but  nobody  was  able,  or  took  the  pains  to  try,  to 
understand  him.  That  is,  not  until  Skeeter  Shee- 
ley  gave  him  his  nickname  and  became  his  official 
interpreter. 

Their  friendship  dated  from  a  memorable  day 
when  Skeeter  had  for  the  first  time  heard  of  the 
incubator  incident,  and  had  promptly  accosted  the 
Flathers'  foundling  as  "  Chicken."  The  insult  had 
been  instantly  resented  in  a  battle  so  fierce  and  so 
bloody,  that  the  details  of  it  became  historic  in  the 
annals  of  Billy-goat  Hill.  Chick,  though  of  lighter 
weight,  and  feeble  muscle,  was  armed  with  right 
eous  indignation.  He  observed  no  rules,  but  fought 
with  arms,  legs,  teeth  and  nails.  The  odds  were 
against  him  however,  and  he  had  to  be  assisted  from 
the  field,  a  vanquished  hero. 

From  that  time  on,  by  one  of  those  mysterious 
laws  that  govern  boydom,  the  two  were  inseparable 
companions,  waging  open  war  on  all  adjoining 
neighborhoods,  engaging  in  predatory  expeditions 
in  their  own,  and,  when  interest  in  life  flagged,  fight 
ing  each  other. 

Skeeter  interpreted  all  that  Chick  said,  inter 
preted  it  freely,  and  with  imagination,  and  Chick 

51 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

apparently  considered  himself  honor  bound  to  ac 
cept  the  interpretation  and  stand  for  it,  no  matter 
how  far  it  came  from  expressing  his  meaning. 

Eleven  years  of  wickedness  had  thus  been  swag 
gered  through  when  Chick  suddenly  and  unex 
pectedly  fell  in  love.  It  was  when  the  beautiful 
young  lady  at  the  railroad  crossing  had  bent  above 
him  like  a  succoring  angel,  that  he  had  been  forced 
to  change  his  classification  of  the  human  race. 
Hitherto  it  had  been  divided  into  grown  people  and 
children,  henceforth  it  was  divided  into  men  and 
women ! 

All  that  Sunday  afternoon  he  went  about  in  a 
dream.  He  could  not  get  over  the  fact  that  she 
had  taken  his  part,  that  she  had  put  her  arm  around 
him,  and  smiled  at  him.  Once  or  twice  when  no 
body  was  looking,  he  put  his  very  dirty  hand  on 
his  cheek  and  felt  the  spot  where  her  fingers  had 
rested. 

But  this  new  and  tender  emotion  was  not  allowed 
to  interfere  with  the  special  project  that  Chick  had 
in  mind.  It  was  a  project  so  colossal  in  its  nature, 
that  not  even  Skeeter  was  to  be  admitted  to  the 
secret.  For  six  weeks  Chick  had  been  the  victim 
of  a  gaming  system,  and  to-night  he  was  to  take  his 
revenge. 

At  supper  time  Skeeter  recognized  a  convention 
of  civilization  and  repaired  to  the  bosom  of  his 

52 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

family,  but  Chick  being  accountable  to  nobody,  and 
recognizing  no  conventions,  stole  a  couple  of  ap 
ples  from  a  passing  cart,  and  repaired  to  the  dump 
heap  to  wait  for  the  dark. 

He  had  not  long  to  wait,  for  great  black  clouds 
were  covering  the  sky,  and  he  could  no  longer  see 
the  houses  at  the  end  of  the  alley.  Carefully  stor 
ing  his  apple  cores  in  his  pocket  for  future  trades, 
he  picked  his  way  over  the  tin  cans  and  debris, 
until  he  reached  the  Junction.  Here  he  hesitated. 
It  was  there  that  he  and  Skeeter  had  tussled  for  the 
whip.  It  was  here  that  the  young  lady  had  come 
to  his  rescue,  and  said  she  didn't  believe  he  was  so 
very  bad.  Gee!  but  she  was  a  pretty  young  lady, 
and  her  hand  was  so  soft,  and  her  voice  — 

Chick  rammed  his  hands  in  his  pockets  and  pulled 
his  cap  over  his  eyes.  This  was  no  way  for  a  cove 
to  be  feeling  when  he  had  a  job  to  do !  With  watch 
ful  eyes  for  passers-by,  he  slipped  through  an  open 
ing  in  the  fence,  and  entered  the  switch-yard.  When 
he  emerged  he  staggered  under  the  weight  of  a  crow 
bar  which  he  vainly  tried  to  hide  under  his  ragged 
jacket 

Just  at  the  intersection  of  Bean  Alley  and  the 
switch-yard,  where  the  dusk  banked  up  densely  in 
the  corners,  he  stopped  again.  He  was  watching  his 
chance  to  get  across  the  wide  common,  undetected. 
Twice  he  started,  and  twice  he  shrank  back  and 

53 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

flattened  himself  against  the  wall  as  some  one 
passed. 

If,  to  the  casual  observer,  Chick  was  but  a  dirty, 
ragged  little  boy,  undersized  and  underfed,  and 
rather  frightened,  to  himself  at  least  he  was  a  bold 
desperado,  about  to  avenge  himself  for  a  wrong 
committed. 

Thunder  muttered  ominously,  and  a  drop  of  rain 
fell  on  his  face  as  he  skirted  the  common,  and 
reached  the  big,  dark  saloon  at  the  cross-roads. 
Skirting  the  side  wall,  he  crept  to  the  rear,  and  felt 
for  the  open  window  which  he  had  discovered  earlier 
in  the  day.  It  was  a  low  window  and  easy  of  ac 
cess,  and  he  lost  no  time  in  climbing  in. 

The  passage  was  in  utter  darkness,  but  he  felt 
his  way  along  the  wall  until  he  reached  a  door. 
Here  he  fumbled  for  the  knob  and  opened  it.  A 
street  lamp  outside  threw  a  dim,  wavering  light  into 
the  room,  revealing  the  long  bar  with  its  shining 
fixtures. 

Chick  put  down  his  crowbar  and  tremblingly  re 
moved  his  coat.  According  to  the  moving  pictures 
of  criminals,  that  was  the  first  move.  Then  he  res 
olutely  grasped  his  weapon  and  with  thumping 
heart  approached  his  enemy. 

It  appeared  a  very  innocent  enemy  as  it  stood 
there  in  the  half  light,  announcing  in  printed  letters 
across  its  face,  that  seven  out  of  every  ten  persons 

54 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

who  put  a  nickel  in  the  slot,  received  a  prize  in 
money.  But  Chick  knew  that  it  lied !  Had  it  not 
eaten  up  his  nickels  week  after  week?  Had  he  not 
worked  for  it,  fought  for  it,  and  bled  for  it,  con 
fidently  believing  that  the  prize  would  be  his?  And 
there  it  stood  gorged  with  his  precious  nickels,  mys 
terious  and  fascinating  still,  but  treacherous  through 
and  through ! 

In  a  blaze  of  wrath  Chick  dealt  it  a  sounding  blow 
with  the  crowbar,  then  crouched  in  terror  for  what 
might  happen.  There  was  no  sound  but  the  dash 
of  rain  against  the  windows,  and  the  heavy  rumble 
of  thunder  overhead.  Once  more  Chick  grasped 
his  heavy  weapon  and  began  the  attack  in  earnest. 
Blow  followed  blow,  as  fast  as  his  small  arms  could 
swing  the  crowbar.  Suddenly  a  spring  seemed  to 
snap,  and  out  poured  a  stream  of  money  that  rolled 
about  his  feet,  and  off  into  the  farthest  corners  of 
the  room. 

Chick  crouched  on  the  floor,  overcome  by  his 
exertions  and  the  success  of  his  venture.  Wealth 
was  within  his  reach,  more  wealth  than  he  had  ever 
dreamed  of !  Not  unintelligible  gold  and  silver,  but 
dear,  familiar  nickels,  whose  purchasing  power  he 
knew.  But  no  thought  of  appropriation  crossed  his 
mind  as  he  knelt  there,  fingering  the  glittering  pile. 
He  was  carefully  counting  out  his  rightful  share, 
the  eleven  nickels  that  the  slot  machine  had  stolen 

55 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

from  him,  and  his  hesitation  came  from  the  fact 
that  he  was  trying  to  select  the  shiniest  ones ! 

Having  gotten  what  he  came  for,  he  once  more 
shouldered  his  crowbar,  and  let  himself  out  into  the 
dark  passage.  Here  he  stopped  in  terror!  Some 
thing  was  snorting  and  hissing  without,  something 
that  sounded  as  if  it  might  be  the  Devil ! 

In  Chick's  creed  there  was  but  one  affirmation. 
He  believed  absolutely  in  the  Devil.  He  knew  be 
yond  the  shadow  of  a  doubt  that  he  was  red,  and 
cloven-footed  and  that  his  tail  ended  in  a  hard, 
sharp,  spike,  like  Mammy  Flathers'  ice-pick.  He 
also  knew  that  when  he  breathed,  it  was  in  groans 
and  hisses,  such  as  he  was  hearing  at  the  present 
moment.  Chick's  hair  would  have  risen  on  his  head, 
it  wanted  to,  but  it  was  not  long  enough. 

For  a  moment  he  stood  breathless,  then  he  drew 
a  sigh  of  relief.  It  wasn't  anything  but  an  auto 
mobile  after  all!  He  tiptoed  to  a  window  and 
peered  out.  The  lamps  from  the  machine  threw 
long  lights  across  the  shining  wet  street,  but  nothing 
else  wras  visible. 

After  a  long  while  he  heard  voices  at  the  side 
door.  Somebody  was  coming  into  the  saloon !  He 
could  hear  the  doorknob  turning,  and  a  key  in  the 
latch.  He  started  back  to  the  barroom,  then  re 
membering  a  little  closet  under  the  steps  where  he 
and  Skeeter  used  to  play,  he  felt  along  the  wall. 

56 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

There  it  was!  And  just  in  time  for  him  to  stum 
ble  in  and  pull  the  door  to,  leaving  enough  crack 
to  breathe  through,  in  case  his  breath  ever  came 
back. 

The  side  door  was  flung  open,  and  the  sputter 
of  a  match  was  followed  by  the  feeble  light  from 
a  gas-jet  at  the  end  of  the  passage. 

"  Here,  I  '11  take  the  umbrella !  "  said  a  voice  he 
dreaded  next  to  the  Devil's.  It  was  Sheeley;  he 
would  go  into  the  barroom,  and  discover  the  wreck 
age  of  the  slot-machine!  Chick  was  beginning  to 
feel  the  handcuffs  on  his  wrists,  when  he  became 
aware  of  ascending  footsteps  overhead.  What 
were  they  going  up-stairs  for?  Was  it  a  sparring 
match?  Forgetting  his  precarious  position  he 
leaned  forward  to  listen,  upsetting  a  box  on  the 
shelf  beside  him. 

"  Who  's  that?  "  came  in  Sheeley's  fiercest  tones 
from  the  stairway  above,  and  Chick  cowered  back 
into  the  dark  with  chattering  teeth.  Then  he  heard 
him  say  something  about  the  window,  and  followed 
the  sound  of  his  heavy  footsteps  down  the  stairs 
and  up  again. 

Now  was  his  chance  to  escape  while  they  were 
up-stairs.  With  utmost  caution  he  pushed  open  the 
closet  door,  and  on  hands  and  knees  began  his 
perilous  journey  to  the  window.  It  was  at  that 
moment  that  he  decided  positively  that  he  would 

57 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

not  be  a  burglar.  A  plumber  took  fewer  risks, 
and  made  more  money.  Once  at  the  window  he  was 
unable  to  budge  the  lock.  Standing  on  the  sill, 
whimpering  with  fear,  he  wrestled  with  it  frantically, 
bruising  his  fingers,  and  tearing  his  nails,  but  he 
could  not  move  it.  Then  he  tried  the  door  but 
Sheeley  had  evidently  locked  it  and  taken  out  the 
key. 

A  blinding  flash  of  lightning  sent  him  scurrying 
back  to  his  hiding-place,  where  he  sank  on  the  floor, 
shivering  and  cringing.  Nearer  and  nearer  roared 
the  thunder,  and  the  wind  seemed  as  anxious  to  get 
into  the  house  as  he  was  eager  to  get  out  of  it. 
Gradually  his  arms  and  legs  ceased  jerking,  his  head 
relaxed  against  an  empty  box,  he  laid  his  hand 
against  the  cheek  that  had  been  patted  and  forgot 
his  troubles  in  sleep. 

When  he  awoke  he  heard  loud  voices  overhead. 
At  first  he  supposed  he  was  at  home,  and  that  the 
voice  was  only  Mr.  Flathers  enjoying  one  of  his 
periodical  backslidings.  But  Dick  Sheeley's  voice 
recalled  him ;  Dick  was  mad  at  somebody,  and  when 
Dick  got  mad  he  fought.  Not  a  boy  on  Billy-goat 
Hill  but  would  have  faced  death  to  see  the  ex-prize 
fighter  in  a  row.  It  was  a  distinction  that  placed 
one  at  a  bound  in  the  front  ranks  of  juvenile  aristoc 
racy. 

Chick  crept  from  his  hiding-place  and  listened. 

58 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

The  voices  grew  louder  and  more  excited.  Drawn 
as  by  a  magnet  he  slipped  up  the  stairs  step  by 
step.  At  the  top  was  an  off-set  in  the  hall,  a  corner 
in  which  he  could  hide,  unseen  from  the  open  door 
beyond.  There  he  lay  on  his  stomach  and  wriggled 
forward  until  his  eye  was  on  a  line  with  the  crack 
in  the  half -open  door. 

Three  men  were  sitting  around  a  card  table,  two 
of  them  with  their  backs  to  him;  and  Dick  facing 
them  with  his  jaw  set  and  his  teeth  showing.  All 
three  were  talking  at  once,  and  Dick  was  the  most 
excited  of  the  three. 

"  You  did  n't  have  no  ace  of  spades  to  show 
down !  You  discarded  it.  You  know  you  did,  you 
—  cheat !  "  He  had  risen  and  was  shaking  his  fist 
in  the  face  of  the  thin  young  man. 

"  It 's  a  lie,  you  common  cur ! "  cried  the  other 
wildly,  but  before  the  words  were  well  out  of  his 
mouth,  Sheeley's  mighty  right  arm  had  shot  out 
across  the  table  and  struck  him  in  the  face. 

"  Sheeley !  For  God's  sake,  don't  you  see  Dil- 
lingham's  drunk?"  protested  the  other  young  man 
whom  Chick  recognized  as  his  friend  of  the  after 
noon. 

"  Drunk  or  no  drunk,  he  can't  call  me  a  liar ! " 
yelled  Sheeley,  and  the  next  instant  Chick,  with  his 
heart  pounding  madly  between  him  and  the  floor,  was 
in  his  element.  It  was  a  fight!  A  real  one,  in 

59 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

which   the   hero   of   Billy-goat  Hill   held  his  own 
against  two  opponents. 

The  tumblers  and  the  whisky  bottles  went  first, 
the  liquor  dripping  from  the  table  to  floor;  then 
a  chair  was  overturned,  and  a  window-pane  shattered 
to  the  ground  below. 

The  thin  young  man  hadn't  sense  to  stop;  again 
and  again  he  flung  his  insults  at  the  infuriated 
Sheeley,  impatiently  fighting  off.  the  efforts  of  his 
companion  who  sought  to  part  them.  Suddenly 
Chick  saw  him  step  back,  while  the  others  were 
grappling,  and  fumble  in  his  rear  pocket.  He  saw 
him  steady  himself  against  the  door  jamb,  not  four 
feet  away,  and  raise  a  pistol.  There  was  a  sharp 
report,  a  smothered  groan,  then  a  heavy  fall. 

The  man  with  the  pistol  flung  it  through  the 
broken  window,  then  staggered  to  the  table  where 
he  sank  down  with  his  head  on  his  arms. 

What  had  happened  in  the  corner,  Chick  could 
not  tell,  but  in  a  few  minutes  his  young  man  came 
swiftly  into  his  line  of  vision,  and  shook  the  limp 
figure  half  lying  on  the  table. 

"  Get  up,  Dill !  For  God's  sake !  Are  you  too 
drunk  to  crank  up  your  machine  ?  As  soon  as  I  can 
get  that  blood  stopped  I  must  go  for  a  doctor." 

The  dazed  eyes  of  the  drunken  man  looked  at  him 
in  helpless  terror ! 

"  I  can't  stay  here!" 

60 


There  was  a  sharp  report,  a  smothered  groan,  then  a  heavy  fall. 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  You  Ve  got  to  stay  here !  Can't  you  see  you 
are  in  no  fix  to  run  a  machine?  Brace  up,  you 
idiot ;  we  Ve  got  to  do  something  and  do  it  quick. 
Go  down  and  try  to  crank  up.  Here  's  the  door  key ! 
I  '11  be  there  as  soon  as  I  can  get  the  blood  stopped !  " 

The  man  at  the  table  staggered  to  the  door,  passed 
through  the  hall,  so  close  to  Chick  that  he  almost 
trod  upon  him,  then  went  swaying  down  the  stairs, 
steadying  himself  by  wall  and  banister.  Chick 
heard  the  side  door  slam,  and  the  chug  of  the  ma 
chine,  then  realized  that  it  was  turning  the  corner. 

The  young  man  in  the  room  rushed  frantically  to 
the  window  and  leaned  out,  then  he  said  something 
savage  under  his  breath,  and  plunged  out  into  the 
passage  and  headlong  down  the  steps.  Chick  heard 
the  side  door  bang  again,  and  a  moment  later  the 
gallop  of  a  horse. 

Then  everything  was  still,  but  the  noisy  beating 
of  his  heart  that  threatened  to  burst  its  confines. 
Through  the  crack  he  saw  the  table  with  its  broken 
tumblers,  and  the  whisky  drip,  dripping  on  the  floor ; 
he  saw  the  chairs  overturned,  and  the  gas-jet  flick 
ering  in  the  wind  from  the  broken  window. 

The  thing  he  could  not  see  was  what  lay  in  the 
corner,  the  huddled-up,  blood-stained  hulk  of  a 
something  for  which  a  smiling,  fat  woman  and  six 
tow-headed  youngsters  were  waiting  across  the  com 
mon. 

63 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Chick  crawled  to  the  head  of  the  stairs,  and  as 
he  reached  the  top  step  his  hand  touched  a  hard 
object.  He  picked  it  up  and  held  it  to  the  light,  and 
as  he  did  so,  the  joy  that  often  blossoms  on  the  brink 
of  tragedy  was  his  for  a  moment.  It  was  the  riding 
whip  whose  handle  he  had  fallen  heir  to  that  after 
noon! 

Down  the  steps,  through  the  door  and  out  into  the 
rain-soaked  night  he  sped;  across  the  common, 
through  the  switch-yard,  and  down  the  narrow, 
noisome  darkness  of  Bean  Alley.  Over  a  ram- 
shackled  fence,  and  up  a  dilapidated  porch  he  clam 
bered  like  a  cat,  until  he  reached  the  small  loft  in 
the  Flathers'  two-roomed  mansion  which  he  called 
home. 

Here  the  hardened  criminal,  the  breaker  of  laws, 
and  of  slot  machines,  the  would-be  burglar,  threw 
himself  upon  an  old  mattress,  and  with  two  grimy 
fists  in  his  eyes  sobbed  out  his  heart  to  the  rafters 
above. 

It  was  not  repentance  for  his  sins,  neither  was  it 
terror  of  the  secret  that  was  locked  behind  his  in 
articulate  lips,  although  both  of  them  had  a  part.  It 
was  because  a  beautiful  young  lady  had  taken  his 
part,  and  put  her  arms  about  him,  and  refused  to 
believe  that  he  was  as  bad  as  Skeeter  Sheeley  said 
he  was. 


CHAPTER  V 

DURING  the  rest  of  the  week  the  rainstorm, 
that  had  started  all  the  trouble,  continued  to 
hover  ominously,  breaking  forth  day  after  day  in 
fierce,  petulant  showers.  Out  at  Thornwood  the  as 
pect  was  most  dreary ;  the  low-lying  ground  in  front 
of  the  house  was  under  water  for  a  quarter  of  a 
mile,  trees,  limp  and  draggled,  stood  disconsolate 
in  an  unfamiliar  lake,  the  bridge  below  the  dam  was 
washed  away,  and  horses  going  to  the  creek  for 
water  were  constantly  being  caught  by  the  current, 
and  having  to  be  rescued  by  ropes.  In  the  flower 
garden  dirty- faced  little  blossoms  lay  in  the  mud, 
vines  trailed  across  the  paths,  all  the  fragrance  and 
color  seemed  to  be  soaked  out  of  everything  by 
those  continuous,  pelting  showers. 

Within  the  house  it  was  not  much  gayer.  The 
front  hall,  with  its  steep,  narrow  stairway,  and  floor- 
covering  of  highly  ornate  landscape  oilcloth,  was  in 
a  perpetual  twilight.  An  occasional  glint  from 
white  woodwork,  or  the  gold  molding  of  a  picture, 
strove  in  vain  to  dispel  the  gloom.  The  parlor,  at 
the  right  of  the  hall,  was  sepulchral  with  its  window 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

cracks  stuffed  with  paper,  and  the  shutters  securely 
closed.  To  be  sure,  the  living-room  on  the  other 
side  of  the  hall  did  its  best  to  look  cheerful,  but 
even  that  comfortable  spot  with  its  low  ceiling  and 
battered  mahogany  furniture,  its  high  cupboards 
flanking  the  wide,  stone  fireplace,  and  its  friendly 
litter  of  every-day  necessities,  was  not  equal  to  the 
occasion. 

One  afternoon  when  the  Colonel  came  in  from  the 
chicken  yard  where  he  and  Uncle  Jimpson  had  con 
stituted  themselves  a  salvage  corps,  he  surprised 
Miss  Lady  sitting  in  the  dusk  on  the  floor  before  the 
empty  fireplace,  with  suspicious  traces  of  tears  upon 
her  face. 

"Make  a  light,"  blustered  the  Colonel;  "you 
must  n't  sit  around  in  the  dark  like  this,  you  know. 
Where  's  my  pipe  ?  " 

She  sprang  up  and  found  the  missing  article,  and 
with  a  great  show  of  cheerfulness  lit  the  lamp  and 
held  the  match  out  for  him  to  light  his  pipe. 

"  What 's  the  matter?  "  asked  the  Colonel;  "  sort 
of  trembly,  ain't  you?  " 

"  Me?  Watch  me!  "  She  held  the  match  very 
straight  and  very  tight,  then  as  it  wavered,  blew  it 
out  and  dropped  it  down  his  sleeve.  "  There 's 
some  mail  over  there  on  the  table  for  you,  Daddy 
dear.  Noah  brought  it  down  from  town  in  his 
buggy." 

66 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

She  said  it  very  carelessly,  and  even  enumerated 
the  contents  as  she  handed  it  to  him : 

"  Two  circulars,  a  letter  from  the  seed  man,  the 
Confederate  Veteran  and  the  newspapers." 

"  Nothing  for  you  ?  " 

"  Nothing." 

Under  his  scrutiny  Miss  Lady's  eyes  fell,  and  she 
turned  abruptly  to  the  window,  while  the  Colonel, 
mouth  open,  pipe  in  hand,  watched  her. 

He  had  never  seen  his  girl  like  this  in  her  life! 
What  business  had  her  lip  -to  tremble  in  the  middle 
of  a  sentence,  or  her  eyes  to  brim  with  sudden 
tears,  making  her  turn  her  back  on  her  adoring 
Dad,  and  busy  herself  with  the  window  curtain? 

Of  course  it  is  upsetting  to  have  a  friend,  whom 
you  have  been  seeing  daily  for  a  couple  of  weeks, 
get  into  trouble  such  as  young  Donald  Morley  had 
fallen  into.  It  made  even  the  Colonel  feel  bad,  he 
did  n't  deny  it.  But  what  business  had  the  kitten 
to  be  taking  it  all  so  to  heart  ?  Why  was  she  called 
upon  to  champion  this  young  stranger's  cause  so 
hotly,  to  resent  every  insinuation,  and  to  contend 
passionately  that  he  would  be  able  to  explain  every 
thing?  Morley  had  not  explained.  Three  days 
had  dragged  past  and  nothing  had  been  heard  from 
him.  Nothing  probably  would  be  heard  from  him ! 
The  Colonel  wanted  to  feel  victorious,  but  he  did 
not.  Instead,  he  cast  anxious  and  sympathetic 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

glances  at  the  back  of  his  daughter's  head,  and  sur 
reptitiously  wiped  his  small  snub  nose  on  the  corner 
of  his  red-bordered  handkerchief. 

He  had  a  good  mind  to  give  up  his  trip  to  Vir 
ginia!  To  be  sure,  he  had  looked  forward  for 
months  to  celebrating  Founders'  Day  at  the  old  col 
lege.  If  it  weren't  for  seeing  all  the  old  boys,  he 
would  stay  at  home.  By  George !  the  little  girl  came 
first ;  he  would  stay  at  home  anyhow ! 

"  Those  gloves,"  he  burst  out  by  way  of  breaking 
the  news ;  "  the  thin  ones  I  told  you  to  mend.  Well, 
you  need  n't  mend  them." 

"  I  have  n't,"   said  Miss  Lady,  "  but  I  '11  do  it 


now." 


"  Need  n't  mind.  Won't  need  'em.  Fact  is,  I 
ain't  going." 

"  Yes  you  are,"  said  Miss  Lady,  adding  incon- 
sequently,  "Why  not?" 

"  Needed  here  at  home.  Roads  washed  out,  ev 
erything  out  of  fix.  Decided  to  stay  at  home." 

Miss  Lady  wheeled  from  the  window  where  she 
had  been  tracing  the  raindrops  on  the  pane,  and 
made  a  rush  for  him,  establishing  herself  on  his  lap, 
as  far  as  one  could  establish  oneself  on  such  a  per 
pendicular  surface. 

"  You  are  not  going  to  do  anything  of  the  kind. 
Uncle  Jimpson  is  going  to  drive  you  in  to  town  to 
catch  the  first  train  in  the  morning." 

68 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  I  ain't  going,"  insisted  the  Colonel,  shaking  his 
head  doggedly. 

"  Yes  you  are.    Where  's  your  traveling  bag?  " 

"  On  the  top  shelf  of  the  cupboard.  But  I  'm  not 
going."  He  said  it  firmly,  but  the  next  instant  he 
asked,  "Did  Jimpson  press  my  gray  suit?" 

"  Oh !  Squire  Daddy,  I  'm  so  sorry  I  forgot  to 
tell  him!  I '11  tell  him  now." 

"  Too  late ! "  the  Colonel  sighed  in  resignation ; 
"  no  use  talking  any  more  about  it." 

"  Yes  there  is !  Your  enthusiasm  's  just  gotten 
damp  like  everything  else.  I  am  going  to  tell  Uncle 
Jimpson  to  make  a  little  fire  to  cheer  us  up,  then 
we  '11  all  go  to  work  to  get  you  ready." 

It  seemed  to  be  a  relief  to  her  to  bustle  about  and 
set  things  in  motion.  In  a  short  while  she  had  a 
cheerful  blaze  going  on  the  hearth,  and  the  curtains 
drawn  against  the  dreary  twilight  without. 

The  Colonel  sat  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  watch 
ing  Uncle  Jimpson  and  Aunt  Caroline  collect  his 
scattered  wardrobe,  keeping  a  vigilant  eye  mean 
while  upon  Miss  Lady,  He  simply  did  not  intend 
to  have  her  unhappy !  It  was  preposterous !  Alto 
gether  out  of  the  question!  His  little  girl  crying 
around  in  corners  where  he  could  n't  see  her  ?  The 
idea  of  such  a  thing!  If  she  must  cry,  what  was 
the  matter  with  his  shoulder? 

"'  You  ain't  got  but  four  hankchiefs  in  de  wash, 
5  69 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Gunnel,"  announced  Aunt  Caroline  from  her  knees 
beside  a  large  wicker  basket.  "  Don't  look  lak  dat  's 
enough  fer  a  white  gem-man  to  start  off  on  a  trip 
wif." 

"  Jimpson,"  the  Colonel  looked  up  reproachfully, 
"  did  you  hear  that  ?  You  have  actually  let  me  get 
down  to  four  handkerchiefs." 

"  And  socks,"  continued  Caroline,  enjoying  the 
opportunity  of  emphasizing  the  shortcomings  of  her 
lesser  half,  "  'bout  sebenteen,  all  singles.  No  two 
scarcely  de  same  color." 

"  Miss  Lady,  she  been  'cumulatin'  'em  to  darn 
'em,"  explained  Jimpson,  glad  to  shift  responsibility. 
"  She  'low  she  gwine  to  tak  a  day  off  some  o'  dese 
days,  an'  mend  up  ever'thing  in  de  house." 

The  Colonel  glanced  around :  "  Where  is  Miss 
Lady?" 

"  Out  in  de  hall,  readin'  de  evenin'  paper.  Nebber 
did  see  dat  chile  tek  so  much  notice  ob  de  news 
paper.  Yas,  sir,  I  '11  call  her." 

"Any  later  news  of  the  shooting?"  asked  the 
Colonel  casually,  when  she  returned. 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Dillingham  was  indicted  and  arraigned 
before  the  court.  The  case  was  passed  until  June 
first." 

"  And  Sheeley  ?     What  of  his  condition?  " 

"  The  paper  says  he  will  lose  his  eye,  but  that  he 
will  probably  get  well." 

70 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"And  —  and  nothing  has  been  heard  of  Mor- 
ley?" 

"  Not  yet." 

After  supper,  when  all  the  preparations  for  the 
trip  were  completed,  and  the  cheerful  presence  of 
Uncle  Jimpson  and  Aunt  Caroline  removed,  the 
Colonel  and  Miss  Lady  sat  before  the  dying  fire, 
and  tried  to  make  conversation.  Outside  wet 
branches  swept  the  windows,  and  sudden  gusts  of 
rain  beat  against  the  panes. 

"  Thirty  years  since  I  saw  some  of  the  old  boys," 
the  Colonel  said,  trying  to  warm  up  to  his  coming 
journey.  "  I  '11  miss  old  Professor  Queerington,  but 
John  Jay  will  be  there.  We  are  planning  to  come 
home  together.  Fine  man,  he  is,  fine  man !  " 

"  Who?     Oh,  yes,  Doctor  Queerington." 

"  Just  a  little  boy  when  I  boarded  at  his  father's. 
He  can't  be  much  over  forty  now.  The  smartest 
man  the  old  college  ever  turned  out!  And  just  as 
good  as  he  's  smart.  A  little  too  much  book  learn 
ing  maybe,  and  not  any  too  much  common  sense, 
but  there  ain't  many  heads  built  to  carry  both. 
He  's  sound  though,  sound  to  the  core,  and  that 's 
saying  a  good  deal  these  days.  What 's  the  matter? 
Sleepy?" 

"  No,  just  the  fidgets.  Say,  Daddy,  what  do  you 
suppose  they  will  do  with  Mr.  Dillingham,  if  he  is 
convicted  ?  " 

71 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  Penitentiary  offense,  I  hear.  But  Noah  says 
they  '11  get  him  off.  Old  General  Dillingham  has 
plenty  of  money,  and  friends  at  court.  He  '11  take 
care  of  his  grandson." 

"  But  if  he  is  cleared,"  began  Miss  Lady,  "  that 
throws  the  guilt  on  — " 

"  Now  see  here,"  interrupted  the  Colonel,  "  you 
stop  bothering  your  little  head  about  that  trial.  Go 
over  there  and  play  me  a  couple  of  good  old  tunes, 
and  then  we  '11  both  trot  to  bed." 

Miss  Lady's  soft  untrained  voice  began  bravely 
enough.  She  described  with  feeling  the  charms  of 
Annie  Laurie,  and  was  half  way  through  Robin 
Adair  before  she  faltered,  started  anew,  stumbled 
again,  then  came  to  an  ignominious  halt. 

"  Tut !  tut !  "  said  the  Colonel  fussily,  getting  him 
self  out  of  his  chair  in  an  incredibly  short  time  for 
so  stout  a  gentleman.  "  This  won't  do,  you  know ; 
this  ain't  right!" 

"  It 's  that  silly  old  piece!  "  said  Miss  Lady  pet 
ulantly.  "  It  always  works  on  my  feelings." 

"  But  it  wouldn't  make  you  cry  like  this.  Come, 
tell  me." 

"  There  's  nothing  to  tell  —  that  is  — " 

"  Well,  never  mind  then.  Just  cry  it  out.  That 's 
right.  Don't  mind  me.  Just  your  old  Dad."  And 
with  much  fussing  and  petting  and  foolish  assurances 
that  he  was  her  Daddy,  he  got  her  over  to  the  sofa. 

72 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Sitting  on  the  floor  with  her  arms  across  his  knees, 
she  wept  with  the  abandonment  of  a  child,  while  his 
short,  stubby  fingers  tenderly  stroked  her  shining 
hair.  At  last  when  the  storm  had  subsided  and  she 
was  able  to  look  up,  he  took  her  face  between  his 
hands. 

"  Out  with  it,  kitten !  "  he  demanded.  "  What 's 
troubling  you?  Don  Morley  business?" 

She  kissed  his  nearest  hand. 

"  Thought  so.  You  —  you  got  to  like  him  pretty 
well,  eh?" 

She  nodded  between  her  sobs. 

"  Better  'n  most  anybody?  "  he  asked  it  jealously, 
but  unflinchingly. 

"  Except  you,  Daddy."  It  was  a  faint  whisper, 
but  it  was  reassuring. 

"  And  what  about  him  ?  "  the  Colonel  continued. 

Another  burst  of  tears,  then  a  resolute  effort  at 
self-control. 

"  He  meant  to  do  what 's  right.  I  know  he  did ! 
He  promised  to  give  up  drinking  and  gambling  and 
go  to  work." 

"  He  made  a  good  start !  "  The  Colonel  knocked 
the  ashes  from  his  pipe.  "  And  after  he  got  into  the 
fracas,  what  in  thunder  did  he  run  away  for?  Why 
didn't  he  stay  and  face  it  out?  Any  fool  would 
know  that  if  Dillingham  is  cleared,  the  suspicion 
would  all  be  on  him." 

73 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  But,  Daddy,  we  have  n't  heard  his  side  yet.  If 
I  could  just  hear  from  him,  or  see  him." 

"  See  him !  "  he  exploded.  "  What  in  the  name 
of  the  devil  do  you  want  to  see  him  for?  No 
siree !  Not  while  Bob  Carsey  's  got  any  buckshot 
left  in  his  gun !  Do  you  think  there  's  any  chance 
of  his  prowling  'round  here  while  I  'm  gone?  That 
settles  it !  I  '11  not  budge  an  inch.  Tell  Jimpson ! 
Tell  Caroline!  Unpack  my  things." 

"  But,  Daddy,  wait !  He  is  probably  out  at  the 
coast  by  this  time.  Besides,  he  has  n't  written  or 
sent  any  word.  How  do  we  know  that  .  .  .  that 
he  wants  to  come  back  ?  " 

"  He  '11  try  it  all  right.  I  saw  how  things  were 
going.  I  saw  how  he  looked  at  you.  The  impu 
dent  young  hound !  " 

"  Daddy !  Please  don't !  You  don't  know  him. 
He  will  explain  everything  when  he  writes,  I  know 
he  will!" 

"  But  he  won't  write !  He  won't  have  the  face 
to.  The  idea  of  his  going  straight  off  from  my 
girl,  and  getting  mixed  up  in  a  scrape  like  this! 
You  've  got  to  promise  me  never  to  speak  to  the 
young  scoundrel  again !  " 

"But  if  he  explains?" 

"Why  hasn't  he  done  so?  Because  he  can't. 
Besides,  I  don't  want  him  to.  We  are  through  with 

74 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

him  from  now  on.  Promise  me  never  to  have  any 
thing  more  to  do  with  him." 

She  hesitated,  and  the  Colonel  began  to  fling  the 
things  out  of  his  bag  in  great  agitation. 

"  Please,  Squire  Daddy !  "  She  caught  his  hands, 
and  looked  at  him,  and  something  in  her  pleading 
eyes  and  quivering  lips  was  so  reminiscent  of  an 
other  face  he  had  loved,  that  he  broke  down  com 
pletely  and  had  to  have  recourse  to  one  of  his  four 
clean  handkerchiefs  that  were  still  in  the  bag. 

He  was  an  old  fool,  he  declared  between  violent 
blowings  of  his  nose,  and  clearings  of  his  throat. 
Was  only  doing  what  he  thought  was  his  duty. 
Did  n't  mean  to  make  her  unhappy.  Did  n't  have 
sense  enough  to  bring  up  a  girl.  Had  tried  to, 
though !  Always  would  try.  Only  she  must  n't 
be  unhappy ;  he  could  n't  stand  that.  It  would  kill 
him  if  she  dared  to  be  unhappy ! 

And  Miss  Lady  with  her  arms  about  his  neck, 
making  futile  dabs  at  his  streaming  eyes  with  her 
little  wet  knot  of  a  handkerchief,  passionately  de 
clared  that  she  would  promise  him  anything  under 
the  sun,  that  she  was  going  to  be  happy,  that  she 
was  happy ! 

"  Not  yet/'  said  the  Colonel,  with  much  mopping 
of  his  brow;  "but  you  will  be!  We'll  straighten 
it  out.  Soon  as  I  get  back,  I  '11  take  the  matter 

75 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

up.  Sift  it  clean  to  the  bottom.  We  '11  give  Mor- 
ley  every  chance  to  square  himself.  But  'til  then, 
you  won't  see  him  if  you  can  help  it,  or  read  his 
letters,  if  he  writes  ?  You  don't  mind  promising  me 
that  much,  do  you?  " 

"  I  promise,  Daddy." 

Oh!  the  promises  made  for  a  day,  and  kept 
through  the  years,  what  a  lot  of  tangled  lives  they 
have  to  answer  for! 

Miss  Lady  put  the  Colonel's  things  back  in  his 
bag,  and  stooped  to  kiss  him  good  night. 

"  Sure  you  don't  mind  my  going?  "  he  asked, 
studying  her  face.  "  I  '11  be  back  Saturday  night." 

"  All  right.  Good-by,  I  won't  be  up  in  the  morn 
ing  when  you  start.  Have  a  good  time,  Daddy  dear, 
and  —  and  don't  worry  about  me." 

He  lit  her  candle  for  her  and  carried  it  to  the 
steps  where  he  kissed  her  again. 

"  My  little  girl,"  he  whispered. 

The  house  grew  still.  Out  on  the  landing  the 
tall  clock  ticked  off  the  hours  to  midnight;  the  fire 
died  to  an  ember ;  from  the  porch  without  came  the 
drip,  drip,  drip  of  the  gutter.  Still  the  Colonel  sat 
in  his  split-bottom  chair,  his  little  eyes  like  watch- 
fires  in  the  gloom,  listening  for  the  faintest  sound 
of  restlessness  from  the  room  above. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE  sudden  light  of  publicity  that  had  fallen 
upon  the  Cant-Pass-It  saloon  sent  a  glow  over 
that  entire  region  of  Billy-goat  Hill.  Everybody 
had  something  to  talk  about,  and  everybody  talked, 
except  Chick. 

Phineas  Flathers  appointed  himself  headquarters 
for  information,  and  devoted  himself  exclusively 
to  arguing  about  the  matter.  Myrtella,  his  twin  sis 
ter,  who  for  fifteen  years  had  presided  over  in 
numerable  cooking  ranges  throughout  the  city,  al 
most  lost  her  new  place  through  her  interest  in  the 
affair. 

The  one  subject  upon  which  Myrtella  Flathers 
considered  herself  a  connoisseur  was  murder.  In 
sundry  third  floors  back,  she  had  for  years  followed 
the  current  casualties  with  burning  interest.  Real 
ism,  romance,  intrigue,  adventure,  she  found  them 
all,  in  these  grim  recitals  of  daily  crime. 

Myrtella  and  Phineas  Flathers  had  been  cast  into 
the  sea  of  life  at  an  early  age  to  sink  or  swim  as 
they  saw  fit.  Myrtella  had  survived  by  combating 

77 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

the  waves,  while  Phineas  adopted  the  less  arduous 
expedient  of  floating. 

To  him  work  appeared  a  wholly  artificial  and 
abnormal  action,  self-imposed  and  unnecessary. 
The  stage  of  life  presented  so  many  opportunities 
for  him  to  exercise  his  histrionic  ability,  that  the 
idea  of  settling  down  to  a  routine  of  labor  seemed 
a  waste  of  talent.  With  far-reaching  discernment 
he  had  early  perceived  that  a  straight  part  was  not 
for  him. 

In  casting  about  for  a  field  that  promised  the 
widest  opportunity  for  his  talent,  he  discovered  the 
Immanuel  Church  in  the  city.  Here  philanthropy 
burned  with  such  zealous  enthusiasm  that  the  harvest 
was  not  sufficient  for  the  laborers.  Phineas  saw 
his  chance  and  grasped  it.  He  became  a  Prodigal 
Son. 

From  that  time  on  his  sole  vocation  was  attend 
ing  church.  Three  times  a  week,  regardless  of  the 
inclemency  of  the  weather,  he  unwound  his  long 
legs  from  the  chair  rungs  in  the  Cant-Pass-It,  care 
fully  smoothed  his  red  hair,  and  made  his  way  to 
a  front  pew  in  the  Immanuel  Church.  ^  At  inter 
vals,  calculated  to  a  nicety,  he  fell  from  grace,  and 
was  reclaimed,  passing  from  periods  of  grave  back 
sliding  into  periods  of  great  religious  fervor. 
Meanwhile  he  followed  the  Scriptures  literally  and 

78 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

took  no  thought  of  the  morrow.  His  reliance  in 
Providence  and  the  Ladies'  Aid  became,  in  time, 
absolute. 

Nor  did  Phineas  Flathers'  self-respect  suffer  in 
the  least  by  this  mode  of  living.  In  no  sense  did 
he  consider  himself  an  incumbent.  Did  he  not  three 
times  a  week  give  a  masterly  presentation  of  "  our 
needy  poor,"  "  our  brother-in-misfortune  "  ?  Did 
he  not  freely  offer  up  his  family  for  each  new  church 
society  to  cut  its  wisdom  teeth  upon  ?  Had  Maria, 
his  wife,  not  labored  wearily  through  unintelligible 
tracts,  and  Chick,  his  adopted  son,  done  penance  in 
Sunday  School,  as  often  as  three  Sundays  in  suc 
cession?  Considering  all  things,  Phineas  felt  that 
the  church  got  a  great  deal  for  its  money. 

Myrtella  Flathers,  following  another  method,  had 
for  fifteen  years  fought  every  obstacle  that  crossed 
her  path.  She  had  left  in  her  wake  traditions  of 
unexcelled  cooking,  and  unparalleled  cleanliness,  to 
gether  with  a  vanquished  army  of  mistresses,  house 
maids,  laundresses,  and  butlers.  She  belonged  to 
the  order  of  Cooks  Militant,  and  she  had  long  since 
won  her  spurs. 

Among  the  things  which  Myrtella  in  her  sweep 
ing  condemnation  of  life  in  general  disapproved, 
none  loomed  larger  than  her  brother  and  his  family. 
But  the  bond  of  blood,  stronger  than  likes  or  dis- 

79 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

likes,  favor  or  prejudice,  brought  her  back  to  him 
again  and  again,  to  share  with  him  her  substance, 
and  to  criticize  his  conduct. 

On  this  particular  afternoon  she  had  started  out 
for  Billy-goat  Hill  to  hear  about  the  shooting,  and 
to  break  the  news  to  the  family,  that  she  had  gotten 
a  new  place.  This  happened  with  such  regularity, 
that  it  would  not  have  deserved  attention,  had  not 
the  astounding  fact  to  be  added  that  Myrtella  was 
pleased.  In  her  fifteen  years  of  rebellious  services 
she  had  never  before  approximated  a  place  that  gave 
satisfaction.  To  be  sure  there  were  dark  and  not- 
to-be-remembered  instances  where  she  had  failed  to 
give  satisfaction  herself,  but  usually  it  was  the  place, 
"  the  new  place/'  with  its  varying  code  of  musts  and 
must-nots,  that  caused  Myrtella  to  spend  many  of 
her  days  in  the  Intelligence  Office,  or  on  street-cars, 
or  tramping  through  the  streets  in  quest  of  that  ever 
elusive  "  good  home." 

She  had  started  out  on  her  pilgrimage  in  a  fairly 
equable  frame  of  mind,  but  before  she  got  well  under 
way,  the  wind  had  made  her  furious.  It  was  a 
frisky  March  breeze  that  had  gotten  left  behind  and 
now  wandered  into  May,  bent  on  mischief. 

Myrtella  tacked  into  it,  like  a  sailing  sloop,  full 
rigged  and  all  sails  set,  an  angular,  heavy-set  per 
son  with  a  belligerent  expression  strangely  at  vari- 

80 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

ance  with  the  embarrassed,  almost  timid  movements 
of  her  hands  and  feet.  Short  locks  of  straight  black 
hair  whipped  across  her  face,  her  skirts,  blown 
tightly  back  against  her  knees,  bellied  in  the  wind, 
while  her  wide-brimmed  hat  caught  the  full  force 
of  the  blast,  like  a  veritable  top-sail. 

By  the  time  she  had  taken  three  tacks  to  cross 
the  common,  and  was  ready  to  come  about  at  the 
corner,  there  was  a  balloon  jibe,  that  sent  the  sails 
all  flapping  against  the  mast,  and  left  her  in  such 
a  flurry  of  indignation,  that  she  failed  to  see  a  string 
that  stretched  its  insidious  length,  two  inches  above 
the  pavement,  from  fence  to  curb. 

After  her  fall,  instead  of  expiring  of  apoplexy, 
as  might  have  been  expected  from  her  countenance, 
Myrtella  picked  herself  up  from  the  pavement  and, 
peeping  through  a  crack  in  the  fence,  smiled.  It 
was  an  expression  so  unfamiliar  to  her  features  that 
they  scarcely  knew  how  to  manage  it. 

"  I  see  you,  Chick !  "  she  said  in  a  voice  that  strove 
to  be  gentle ;  "  why  don't  you  come  on  out  here  and 
speak  to  me  ?  " 

Chick  and  Skeeter,  recognized  a  significant  bulge 
to  the  string  bag  which  she  carried,  scrambled  forth, 
the  former  skilfully  evading  her  outstretched  arm 
of  welcome. 

"  He  says,"  interposed  the  ever-ready  Skeeter,  as 
81 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

his  companion  made  queer  noises  in  his  throat,  "  that 
he  never  knowed  it  was  you.  He  never  went  to  trip 
you  up.  Honest  to  goodness !  You  ain't  mad,  are 
you?" 

"  No,  I  ain't  mad."  Myrtella  still  smiled  as  she 
brushed  the  dust  from  her  skirt.  "  Here  's  a  orange 
I  brought  you,  Chick.  You  ain't  been  sick,  have 
you?" 

"  Naw !  He  ain't  been  sick,  but  he  took  that  bath 
you  ast  him  to,  and  where  's  his  nickel  at?  " 

Myrtella  stood  and  watched  the  boys  until  the  cor 
ner  grocery  swallowed  them  and  their  new  nickel, 
then  she  sighed  and  turned  into  Bean  Alley. 

There  were  no  streets  here,  and  an  occasional  rock 
or  tin  can  were  the  only  islands  in  a  sea  of  mud. 
The  Flathers'  cottage,  consisting  of  two  rooms  and 
a  half  attic,  rested  its  weight  against  the  cottage 
next  it,  with  something  of  the  blind  reliance  that 
Phineas  Flathers  rested  upon  the  Church.  On  its 
other  side  it  commanded  an  uninterrupted  view  of 
the  Dump  Heap,  which  was  the  background  for  all 
the  juvenile  social  life  of  that  section  of  Billy-goat 
Hill. 

Here  ships  were  launched  in  mud  puddles,  flower 
gardens  attempted  in  tin  cans,  and  fierce  wars  waged 
between  rival  gangs;  here  embryo  mothers  played 
with  stick  and  rag  dolls,  and  aspirants  for  the  circus 
performed  acrobatic  feats  on  the  one  bit  of  fence 

82 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

that  had  not  tumbled  down.  And  all  this  activity 
went  on  almost  under  the  wheels  of  the  dump  carts 
that  passed  to  and  fro  all  clay. 

Myrtella,  picking  her  way  through  the  mud,  was 
just  turning  the  corner  of  the  Flathers'  house  when 
her  eyes  fell  upon  a  broken  window-pane  stuffed 
with  a  woolen  skirt  which  she  had  given  to  Maria 
to  make  over  into  trousers  for  Chick.  She  promptly 
jerked  it  out  with  a  force  that  brought  the  glass 
with  it,  and  by  the  time  she  reached  the  back  door, 
her  jaw  was  set  and  her  brows  knit. 

Considering  the  fact  that  the  rear  room  was  a 
composite  kitchen,  laundry,  dining-room,  pantry, 
coal  house  and  cellar,  the  glances  with  which  Myr 
tella  swept  the  chamber  and  its  one  occupant,  might 
have  been  a  trifle  less  severe.  It  was  a  glance  in 
which  her  individual  abhorrence  of  dirt  combined 
with  her  racial  disapproval  of  "  in-laws." 

In  the  one  space  in  the  room  that  was  not  pre 
empted,  Maria  Flathers  bent  above  a  wash  tub, 
feebly  persuading  black  garments  to  become  gray. 
That  was  all  she  asked  of  them.  She  was  not  am 
bitious.  Ambition,  like  everything  else,  had  been 
soaked  out  of  her  long  ago  by  those  hot,  steaming 
suds  that  enveloped  her  the  greater  part  of  her 
waking  hours,  and  left  her  physically,  mentally,  and 
morally  limp.  Her  one  strong  instinct  was  mother 
hood  ;  but  five  little  Flathers,  opening  feeble  eyes 

83 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

on  their  future  environment,  had  become  so  discour 
aged  that  they  promptly  closed  them  again.  It  was 
as  if  they  really  could  not  stand  the  prospect  of 
life  in  that  home  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Flathers  for 
parents ! 

Only  Chick  survived,  the  ash-barrel  baby,  who 
really  was  not  theirs  at  all,  but  who  having  begun 
life  in  their  back  yard,  continued  as  everything  else 
continued  when  once  established  at  the  Flathers', 
for  the  simple  reason  that  no  one  ever  took  the 
trouble  to  change  the  existing  disorder  of  things. 

As  Myrtella  sailed  wrath  fully  into  port  and  docked 
at  the  door-step,  Maria  looked  up  with  a  gasp : 

"  Law !  Myrtella,  you  gimme  a  turn.  I  forgot 
this  here  was  your  afternoon  off.  I  thought  sure 
you  was  Sheeley's  rent  man." 

"  Sheeley's? "  repeated  Myrtella,  her  curiosity 
getting  the  better  of  her  temper,  as  she  removed  an 
old  shoe  and  a  flour  sifter  from  the  nearest  chair 
and  sat  down. 

"  Yes,  he  's  our  landlord,  but  he  gits  another  man 
to  collect.  Guess  you  heard  about  his  gittin'  shot?  " 

"  Read  every  word  that 's  been  printed.  Is  he 
goin'  to  die?  " 

"  Not  him.  Ain't  nothin'  the  matter  with  him 
'ceptin'  his  eye  is  blowed  out.  My  uncle,  back  home, 
got  both  his  eyes  —  You,  Chick !  "  this  to  an  in 
visible  presence  that  manifested  itself  only  through 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

a  shower  of  pebbles  that  followed  in  the  wake  of  a 
fleeing  cat.  "  Go  up  to  the  saloon,  Chick,  and  tell 
yer  Pappy  he  '11  have  to  come  on  home.  Yer  Aunt 
'Telia's  here." 

"  Don't  look  like  he  grows  a  inch  a  year,"  said 
Myrtella  thoughtfully,  watching  him  depart. 

"  That  there  Mrs.  Ivy 's  been  after  me  agin  to 
send  him  to  the  Widows  and  Orphans'  Home.  She 
says  she  can  git  him  in,  and  they  '11  learn  him  to 
read  and  write." 

"  Well,  he  ain't  goin' ! .  I  guess  as  long  as  I  'm 
a  payin'  the  grocery  bills,  I  got  a  right  to  say  who  '11 
eat  the  food !  What 's  that  you  are  hidin'  ?  " 

Maria,  who  had  been  attempting  to  remove  some 
thing  surreptitiously  from  the  table,  looked  apolo 
getic. 

"  It 's  one  of  them  plaster  casts,  I  '11  be  bound," 
Myrtella  continued.  "  I  might  'a'  knowed  you  'd 
git  the  mate  to  the  other  one,  and  not  a  square  inch 
of  space  in  the  house  to  set  it  on!  What  did  you 
give  f er  it  ?  " 

Mrs.  Flathers  withdrew  her  apron,  and  tenderly 
dusted  the  highly  colored  features  of  an  Indian 
squaw,  whose  head-feathers  reposed  upon  her  arm. 
Then  she  placed  it  on  a  corner  of  the  stove  where 
its  imposing  dignity  produced  a  momentary  impres 
sion  upon  even  the  flinty  Myrtella. 

"  How  much  ?  "  she  demanded  heartlessly. 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  A  quarter  down,  and  ten  cents  a  week."  Maria 
sighed.  "  'T  would  n't  be  no  trouble  at  all  if  it 
was  n't  for  Phineas  spending  so  much  car-fare  go 
ing  to  church  and  that  bow-legged,  onery  rent-man, 
that  comes  sneakin'  round  here  every  week,  acting 
like  poor  people  just  kep'  money  settin'  'round  in 
jars  waitin'  fer  the  likes  of  him!  " 

Maria's  hatred  of  the  rent  man  was  the  one  emo 
tion  that  seemed  to  be  left  in  her  withered  bosom. 
To  baffle  him,  to  evade  him,  to  anticipate  his  com 
ing  and  be  away  from  home,  constituted  the  chief 
object  of  her  existence. 

A  bang  of  the  gate  announced  the  arrival  of  the 
head  of  the  household,  which  was  promptly  followed 
by  the  strains  of  a  hymn  cheerfully  whistled  in  rag 
time. 

Phineas  Flathers,  after  months  of  abstinence,  had 
reached  that  period  where  he  felt  that  not  only  his 
constitution,  but  his  profession  would  profit  by  a 
temporary  fall  from  grace.  Solicitude  for  his 
moral  welfare  was  beginning  to  flag  at  the  Church; 
his  regular  attendance,  his  apparent  absorption  in  the 
sermon,  and  his  emotional  execution  of  the  hymns, 
all  went  to  lift  him  from  the  class  of  interesting 
converts,  to  the  deadly  commonplace  of  regular 
members.  Only  that  afternoon  he  had  decided  to 
revive  interest  in  his  case  at  any  cost.  He  had  just 
treated  others,  as  he  would  have  others  treat  him 

86 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

at  the  Cant-Pass-It,  when  he  was  summoned  home 
to  see  his  sister. 

He  now  presented  himself  in  his  own  doorway, 
a  hand  on  either  side  of  the  jamb,  and  bowed  pro 
foundly  : 

"  Miss  Flathers !  Pleased  to  meet  you !  I  see 
you  still  continue  to  favor  yourself  in  looks.  Lost 
your  place,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"  That 's  right,  be  insultin' !  "  Myrtella  flared  up 
haughtily ;  "  throw  it  in  my  face  that  I  'm  hard  to 
please,  and  ain't  willin'  to  put  up  with  any  old  place 
I  come  to." 

"  Now  I  would  n't  put  it  that  I  was  throwing  it 
in  yer  face  exactly,"  began  Phineas,  anxious  to  pro 
pitiate. 

"Which  means  I 'm  a  story-teller?"  Myrtella 
squared  herself  for  action. 

"Oh,  come  on  along,"  coaxed  Phineas;  "no 
harm  's  meant.  Go  on  an'  tell  us  what  you  left  fer." 

"  Who  said  I  'd  left  ?  Putt  in'  words  in  my  mouth 
I  never  thought  of  utterin' !  I  ain't  left,  and  what 's 
more  I  ain't  going  to.  I  got  a  good  place." 

Phineas  whistled  an  aggravatingly  attenuated  note 
of  surprise:  "  The  lady  you  are  working  for  must 
be  a  dee f -mute." 

"  She  is.  The  Same  as  you  '11  be  some  day.  She  's 
been  dead  three  years." 

The  triumph  with  which  she  made  this  announce- 

87 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

ment  put  a  momentary  quietus  on  Phineas,  and  en 
abled  her  to  proceed : 

"  It 's  a  widower  gentleman  with  three  children 
that  I  'm  cookin'  for,  and  I  ain't  set  eyes  on  one 
of  'em  except  at  meal  times  since  I  hired  to  'em. 
Queerington  's  their  names,  out  on  College  Street, 
right  around  the  corner  from  the  Immanuel  Church. 
He  's  a  teacher  or  something,  one  of  them  book- 
wormy  men,  whose  head  never  pays  no  attention  to 
what  the  rest  of  him  is  doing.  *  Take  charge,'  said 
he,  '  of  everything,  do  the  ordering,  and  cooking, 
and  don't  bother  me  with  nothing.' ' 

"But  does  he  bother  you?"  put  in  Phineas  as 
tutely  ;  "  that 's  the  real  point." 

"  Was  n't  I  just  tellin'  you  that  he  did  n't  ?  He  's 
been  off  on  a  trip  to  Virginia ;  gets  home  to-night. 
I  Ve  got  the  whole  house  in  the  pa'm  of  my  hand, 
from  cellar  to  attic.  Miss  Connie,  she  's  the  oldest, 
as  flighty  as  a  pidgeon  and  head  so  full  of  boys  she 
don't  pay  no  attention  to  another  livin'  thing.  Then 
there  's  Miss  Hattie,  the  second  one,  jes'  at  that 
spiteful  thirteen  age,  but  so  busy  peckin'  on  her  sis 
ter,  she  ain't  no  time  left  for  me — " 

"  Thought  you  said  there  was  three  children,"  put 
in  Maria  mildly. 

"  I  did.  You  did  n't  think  I  lied,  did  you?  Al 
ways  ready  to  snatch  up  a  person's  words  before 
they  git  'em  out  of  their  mouth!  The  third  one 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

is  a  boy,  Bertie  they  call  him,  sick  and  spin'ly,  but  a 
right  nice  little  fellow.  Where  'd  Chick  go?  " 

"  He  's  settin'  out  there  on  the  door-step.  Did 
you  hear  'bout  our  shootin'  ?  " 

"  Maria  was  tryin'  to  tell  me,  but  she  did  n't 
seem  to  have  nothin'  clear  to  tell.  Who  do  you 
think  done  it?" 

Phineas  Flathers,  balancing  himself  on  the  hind 
legs  of  his  chair,  with  his  thumbs  in  the  armholes 
of  his  vest,  was  nothing  loath  to  launch  forth  into 
a  full  recital  of  the  affair,  embellishing  it  with  many 
a  flourish  as  he  went  along.  In  the  bosom  of  his 
family  he  was  freed  from  those  bonds  of  restraint 
that  embarrassed  his  utterance  when  in  more  formal 
society.  The  amount  of  profanity  that  he  could 
dispose  of  in  the  course  of  an  ordinary  conversa 
tion  was  little  short  of  astounding.  This  being  more 
than  an  ordinary  conversation  and  his  mood  being 
mellow,  called  for  an  extra  vocabulary.  He  graph 
ically  set  forth  the  facts  in  the  case,  then  gave  his 
imagination  full  sway  in  accounting  for  them.  He 
interpreted  the  whole  affair  as  a  clash  between  capi 
tal  and  labor,  a  conflict  between  the  pampered  aris 
tocrat  and  the  common  man.  The  shooting  was 
the  result  of  a  deep-laid  plan:  Dillingham  and 
Morley  had  met  by  appointment,  moved  by  what 
motive  he  did  not  make  clear,  to  kill  Sheeley,  an 
honest  laboring  man.  Had  n't  the  one  on  horse- 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

back,  that  they  say  was  Mr.  Morley,  stopped  him 
at  the  crossing,  on  the  very  afternoon  of  the  shoot 
ing,  and  engaged  him  in  conversation  ?  Phineas  as 
sured  his  listeners  that  he  trembled  even  now  when 
he  thought  of  the  danger  he  had  been  in ! 

"  I  'd  seed  him  afore  that  day  a  ridin'  with  a 
pretty  young  lady,  that  most  got  her  neck  broke 
under  a  engine,  but  this  time  he  was  by  hisself,  a 
settin'  there  on  his  horse,  as  proud  as  a  king  and 
stirrin'  me  up  about  the  rich  folks  not  allowing  us 
poor  working  classes  to  have  no  streets  out  here. 
I  suspicioned  somethin'  right  then;  says  I  to  myself, 
'  he  's  got  a  handsome  face  but  his  mind  is  a  well 
of  corruption/  And  when  I  heard  he  'd  shot  Shee- 
ley  .  .  .  Now  what  in  thunder  is  the  matter  with 
you,  Chick  ?  " 

During  this  recital  Chick  had  been  sitting  in  the 
doorway,  his  knees  drawn  up  to  his  chin,  listening 
intently,  but  at  this  point  he  cried  out  in  a  sputter 
of  protesting  sounds. 

"  It 's  the  shootin',  it 's  done  got  on  his  mind," 
explained  Maria,  winding  her  long  thin  hair  into  a 
yet  tighter  knot  at  the  back  of  her  head.  "  He  takes 
on  like  that  every  time  he  hears  us  talkin'  'bout  it, 
and  nobody  can't  make  out  a  word  he 's  sayin'. 
Per  two  or  three  days  I  could  n't  scarcely  git  him  to 
eat  nothin'." 

"If  your  cooking  ain't  any  better  than  it  used  to 
90 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

be  I  ain't  surprised,"   Myrtella  said.     "  How  bad 
was  Sheeley  shot,  Phineas  ?  " 

"  Oh,  he  '11  be  laid  up  fer  a  month  yit.  They  say 
the  retinue  of  his  eye  was  cracked  right  across  the 
middle.  But  that  ain't  worryin'  Sheeley.  He 's 
livin'  in  style  at  the  hospital,  all  his  bills  paid,  and 
the  swells  lookin'  after  him.  I  hear  he  ain't  even 
goin'  to  prosecute.  They  Ve  fixed  him  all  right ; 
besides  he  don't  want  to  git  that  fly  young  gang 
down  on  his  place.  He  's  countin'  on  startin'  up 
them  sparrin'  matches  ag'in,  as  soon  as  the  police 
quit  noticin'  him.  Say,  Sis,  you  don't  happen  to 
have  a  quarter  'bout  you,  do  you?  " 

The  peculiar  persuasiveness  of  Phineas'  voice 
when  he  threw  out  these  financial  suggestions,  was 
very  insidious.  In  some  subtle  way  he  made  the 
favor  all  on  the  side  of  the  recipient;  he  gave  the 
donor,  as  it  were,  a  chance  to  acquire  merit. 

But  Myrtella  wore  the  armor  of  experience. 
"  No,  I  ain't !  "  she  said,  taking  a  firmer  grasp  on 
her  bag.  "  I  'm  payin'  the  grocery  man  now,  and 
buyin'  clothes  for  Chick.  What  good  does  it  do? 
I  no  more  than  git  his  hide  covered  than  you  go  and 
sell  the  clothes  offen  his  back.  When  are  you  goin' 
to  git  a  job?  " 

"  Well,  you  might  say  I  had  one  now.  Leastwise 
I  'm  a  followin'  Scriptures  and  bearin'  one  another's 
burdens.  Jires,  the  flagman,  over  to  the  Junction 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

has  been  laid  up  with  rheumatism  and  he  don't  want 
the  boss  to  know  it.  He  sets  in  his  box  and  hires 
me  to  go  out  and  flag  the  trains  like  he  tells  me 
to." 

"  How  many  trains  a  day  ?  " 

"  Two  tips,  three  downs  and  a  couple  of  freights." 

"  Should  think  you  'd  die  of  the  exertion.  How 
much  do  you  get  ?  " 

"  Oh,  it  ain't  so  much.  But  I  ain't  a  ambitious 
man.  What 's  the  use  of  me  a-slavin'  and  a-hordin' 
when  I  ain't  got  a  child  to  leave  it  to?  If  Claude 
had  a  lived,  or  McKinley,  I  might  'a'  had  somethin' 
to  work  for." 

"  You  mean  you  'd  'a'  had  somethin'  to  work  for 
you.  The  Lord  certainly  done  a  good  job  when 
he  changed  His  mind  about  letting  them  babies  live." 

"  They  're  having  onions  next  door  fer  supper," 
said  Maria  feebly,  by  way  of  diverting  an  old  dis 
cussion.  "  I  ain't  been  able  to  git  'em  off  my  mind 
all  afternoon." 

Chick,  who  had  been  sent  to  the  grocery  to  see 
what  time  it  was,  came  back  holding  up  five  fin 
gers. 

"  Gee,  I  got  to  be  hiking!  "  said  Phineas.  "  The 
passenger  train  from  Virginia  's  due  at  five  sixteen. 
It  won't  git  here  before  a  quarter  of  six,  but  I  'm  al 
ways  there  on  the  minute.  That 's  what  Jires  pays 
me  fer,  fer  bein'  regular  and  reliable.  Jes'  let  me 

92 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

get  a  regular  habit  and  a  clock  ain't  in  it  with  me. 
Why,  if  I  was  to  come  in  late  at  church,  they  'd  stop 
the  service ! " 

"  Well,  don't  you  be  gittin'  a  regular  habit  of 
comin'  'round  to  the  Queeringtons ! "  was  Myr- 
tella's  parting  shot  as  he  rose  unsteadily.  "  When 
I  got  anything  to  say  to  you  I  '11  come  here." 

"That's  right!"  assented  Phineas  cordially; 
"  you  jes'  make  yourself  at  home.  My  home  is 
your  home.  Maria  '11  tell  you  that  I  says  to  her  only 
last  night,  I  says,  '  Maria,  you  need  n't  feel  so  cut 
up  'bout  askin'  Myrtella  fer  the  rent  this  month,  be 
cause  this  is  her  home,  too.  There  ain't  a  board  in 
it  but  I  'd  share  with  her,  she  knows  that.'  You  tell 
her  all  I  said,  Maria,  don't  you  keep  back  nothin'. 
Farewell !  "  and  with  an  affectionate  glance  and  a 
wave  of  the  hand  Phineas  departed. 

Now  if  he  had  followed  the  straight  and  narrow 
path,  indicated  by  the  rocks  and  tin  cans,  that  led 
to  the  Junction,  instead  of  the  broad  highway  in 
dicated  by  the  plank  walk  that  led  to  the  Cant-Pass- 
It,  the  tragedy  that  hovered  over  Billy-goat  Hill 
might  have  been  averted. 

But  he  had  left  the  saloon  in  the  midst  of  a  heated 
controversy  with  two  Italians,  concerning  the  su 
premacy  of  America  over  all  other  nations.  The 
fact  that  his  country  had  never  been  proud  of  him  in 
no  way  deterred  him  from  being  very  proud  of  his 

93 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

country.  Until  the  dispute  was  properly  ended  he 
felt  that  the  honor  of  the  nation  was  at  stake. 

His  patriotic  fervor  ran  so  high  that  by  the  time 
he  reached  the  crossing,  the  passenger  train  was  al 
ready  in  sight.  Jires,  helpless  and  terrified  at  his 
post,  was  distractedly  shouting  directions  from  his 
little  sentinel  box. 

"  Flathers !  There  's  a  washout  down  the  road ! 
We  've  got  to  hold  up  the  passenger  train.  Get 
out  the  red  flag!  Quick  man!  Be  ready  to  signal 
the  engineer.  Three  times  cross  ways !  The  red 
flag,  you  fool !  the  RED  FLAG !  Oh,  my  God !  " 

For  Phineas  Flathers,  to  whom  all  flags  now 
looked  red,  white  and  blue,  was  standing  at  the 
crossing,  joyously  waving  a  white  flag,  while  the 
engineer  with  his  hand  on  the  throttle,  released  the 
brakes,  and  sent  his  train  thundering  down  the  grade 
to  destruction. 

Meanwhile  Myrtella,  having  finished  her  visit  in  a 
grand  finale  of  pyrotechnics,  in  which  she  displayed 
Phineas  to  his  wife  in  a  number  of  blazing  life 
like  portraits,  took  her  departure.  It  was  not  the 
first  time  she  had  faced  the  alternative  of  paying 
the  rent,  or  seeing  her  only  relative  turned  into  the 
street,  nor  was  it  the  first  time  that,  after  giving 
innumerable  pieces  of  her  mind  to  Maria,  she  had 
followed  them  up  with  the  rent. 

94 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

All  the  way  home  she  discussed  the  matter  audi 
bly  with  herself,  and  was  still  muttering  darkly  when 
she  reached  the  Oueeringtons'.  So  absorbed  was 
she  in  her  own  wrongs  that  she  did  not  notice  that 
the  front  door  stood  open,  and  figures  were  hurry 
ing  about  in  the  hall. 

As  she  let  herself  into  the  side  door,  a  white- 
faced  young  girl,  with  her  hair  brushed  straight  back 
into  a  long  braid,  rushed  through  the  pantry. 

"  What 's  the  matter,  Miss  Hattie  ?  " 

The  girl  steadied  herself  by  the  banister.  "  It 's 
father !  "  she  said  with  chattering  teeth.  "  There  's 
been  an  awful  accident  just  below  the  Junction. 
They  can't  even  bring  him  home.  They  are  taking 
him  to  a  place  out  there,  a  Colonel  Carsey's.  Col 
onel  Carsey  was  killed.  He  was  sitting  right  by 
father.  Oh !  Myrtella,  I  'm  so  afraid  father  's  go 
ing  to  die !  " 

Myrtella  standing  helplessly  before  the  terror- 
stricken  girl,  could  find  no  words  of  sympathy.  In 
fact  she  appeared  even  more  formidable  and  bristling 
than  usual. 

"  Well,  he  ain't  dead  yet,"  she  said  shortly,  "  and 
any  how,  there  ain't  no  reason  why  you  should  n't 
have  supper.  Trouble  always  sets  heavy  on  a 
empty  stomach." 


95 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  fatal  accident  which  Phineas  Flathers' 
misguided  patriotism  had  precipitated, 
changed  the  course  of  many  a  life,  but  to  none  did  it 
bring  more  far-reaching  consequences  than  to  the 
daughter  of  old  Bob  Carsey. 

Miss  Lady  could  never  clearly  recall  those  first 
days  after  her  father's  death.  They  seemed  to  her 
a  confused  nightmare  of  strange  doctors  and  nurses, 
of  a  strange  man  hovering  between  life  and  death 
in  the  guest-room  bed,  of  strange  people  coming  and 
going,  or  sitting  in  hushed  groups  on  the  stiff  horse 
hair  chairs  in  the  hall,  waiting  for  news.  Two  facts 
alone  remained  fixed  in  the  whirling  chaos  of  unre 
alities;  her  father  was  dead,  and  no  letter  had  come 
from  Donald  Morley. 

Each  day  when  the  mail  arrived  she  roused  from 
her  apathy,  and  with  trembling  fingers  sorted  out 
the  letters,  going  over  them  again  and  again,  and 
never  finding  the  one  she  sought.  Gradually  be 
neath  the  poignant  grief  for  her  father,  came  the 
dull  persistent  pain  of  a  first  disillusion.  The  be- 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

lief  and  loyalty  with  which  she  had  started  out  to 
defend  Donald  began  to  weaken  before  his  silence. 
In  his  trouble  she  had  been  ready  to  rush  to  him, 
to  succor  and  forgive,  but  he  had  not  called  upon 
her.  Now  in  her  great  need,  she  was  calling  to 
him,  and  he  did  not  come.  Suspicion  began  to 
crowd  on  the  heels  of  doubt. 

Had  he  not  acknowledged  his  instability?  Had 
her  father  not  seen  it  from  the  first  ?  Was  his  de 
sire  to  settle  down  in  the  country  but  one  of  the 
whims  of  which  his  life  seemed  made  up?  Per 
haps  she  herself  had  only  been  a  passing  fancy, 
something  wanted  for  the  moment,  but  soon  for 
gotten.  At  the  end  of  a  week  her  pride  rushed  to 
arms.  Whatever  reason  he  might  offer  now  would 
come  too  late. 

The  sudden  plunge  from  irresponsible  girlhood 
into  this  mysterious  region  of  grief  and  doubt, 
where  one  must  tread  the  thorny  path  alone,  ter 
rified  and  bewildered  her.  She  did  all  the  last  sad, 
futile  things  one  can  do  for  the  dead ;  then  when  all 
was  over,  fled  from  the  confusion  at  Thornwood, 
and  sought  the  silence  of  the  woods.  Here  fierce 
outbursts  of  rebellious  grief  were  followed  by 
hours  of  apathy  when  she  tramped  for  miles,  seeing 
and  hearing  nothing,  but  urged  on  by  an  insistent 
desire  to  be  in  motion. 

97 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

It  was  at  the  end  of  one  of  these  tramps  that 
Noah  Wicker  found  her  late  one  evening,  on  the 
grass  by  the  river,  sobbing  out  her  heart  at  the  spot 
where  the  Colonel  used  to  fish. 

Noah's  words  of  comfort  were  as  scarce  as  his 
other  words,  so  he  sat  on  a  log  near  by  and  waited 
silently  until  she  was  ready  to  go  home.  At  the 
stile,  where  he  left  her,  he  handed  her  a  letter. 

"  I  got  it  at  the  station  this  noon,"  he  said. 
'  Thought  I  'd  be  over  earlier,  but  did  n't  know  if 
you  wanted  me." 

She  did  not  hear  him,  the  letter  had  come !  Her 
fingers  thrilled  at  its  touch,  and  the  warm  blood 
surged  to  her  heart.  Without  another  thought  for 
Noah,  she  sped  up  the  walk  to  the  house,  where  she 
locked  herself  into  the  living-room.  Match  after 
match  sputtered  and  went  out  in  her  nervous  fingers, 
before  the  lamp  was  lighted. 

He  had  written !  He  cared !  He  was  coming ! 
Over  and  over  she  whispered  the  words  to  herself. 
Then  she  looked  at  the  postmark  on  the  heavy 
envelope,  and  her  heart  sank.  San  Francisco! 
After  all  he  was  not  coming  back ! 

Her  eager  finger  was  at  the  seal,  when  her  eyes 
fell  upon  a  briar-wood  pipe  that  lay  on  the  table 
beside  a  half -filled  pouch  of  tobacco.  In  an  instant 
she  seemed  to  see  a  stubby  brown  hand  reaching  for 
it,  the  quick  spurt  of  the  match,  the  flare  of  light  on 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

an  old  weather-beaten  face,  then  a  deep-drawn  breath 
of  contentment  as  the  Colonel  settled  back  and  held 
out  his  other  hand  to  his  little  girl. 

And  her  last  promise  to  him  had  been  to  do  noth 
ing  until  Donald's  name  should  be  cleared.  She 
could  keep  her  promise  now,  but  could  she  after  she 
had  read  Donald's  letter?  If  the  mere  touch  of  it 
in  her  hand  plead  for  him,  what  would  the  living 
words  do? 

She  looked  hopelessly  around  the  cheerful,  homely 
room,  every  foot  of  which  spoke  to  her  of  her 
father,  and  of  his  love  for  her.  On  the  white  door 
frame  were  penciled  the  proud  records  he  had  made 
of  her  height  on  each  successive  birthday.  On  the 
walls  were  pictures  of  her  he  had  treasured,  from  the 
time  she  was  a  round-eyed  baby,  to  the  present  day. 
In  the  cupboard  was  a  green  box  containing  her  first 
shoes,  her  little  dresses,  her  first  letter,  her  baby 
curls. 

Over  the  harpsichord  was  a  portrait  of  the  Colonel 
himself,  painted  before  she  was  born.  It  repre 
sented  a  dashing,  young  sportsman,  surrounded  by 
his  pack  of  hounds.  Twenty  years  ago  this  gallant 
hunter  had  given  up  the  chase,  with  many  another 
joy,  to  minister  to  her  baby  needs,  to  share  her 
joys  and  sorrows,  and  be  father,  mother,  play-fellow 
all  in  one. 

She  clasped  Donald  Morley's  letter  tightly  and 

99 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

closed  her  eyes.  Never  in  her  short  life  had  she 
wanted  to  do  anything  so  desperately  as  she  wanted 
to  read  that  letter,  and  yet  the  reading  of  it  would 
mean  breaking  a  promise  to  one  whom  she  could 
never  promise  anything  again.  Her  newly  awak 
ened  love  and  her  sense  of  justice  pleaded  hotly  for 
Donald,  but  the  empty  room  and  her  empty  heart, 
and  a  passionate  sense  of  loyalty  to  the  dead,  spoke 
mutely  for  her  father. 

After  all,  nothing  could  justify  those  long  days  of 
silence,  that  failure  on  Donald's  part  to  come  to  her 
in  her  trouble.  Her  father's  judgment  was  probably 
right  after  all,  and  it  was  best  she  should  put  an  end 
to  the  matter  once  and  for  all. 

Sobbing  like  a  child,  she  kissed  the  letter  again 
and  again,  and  kneeling  by  the  fire,  held  it  to  the 
flame,  and  watched  it  burn  to  ashes  on  the  hearth. 

After  that  one  dreary  week  followed  another, 
with  the  same  invasion  of  strangers,  the  same  vary 
ing  reports  from  the  sick  room.  Gradually,  how 
ever,  the  reports  became  more  favorable,  the  tension 
eased,  visitors  became  less  frequent,  and  Thornwood 
began  to  settle  down  to  its  normal  state. 

Owing  to  the  nature  of  Doctor  Queerington's 
injury,  and  the  severe  shock  he  had  sustained,  it 
was  not  thought  best  to  move  him  to  the  city  until 
he  was  stronger.  The  quiet  country  house  was  an 
excellent  place  for  convalescence,  and  under  the 

100 


She    held    it    to    the    flame,  and  watched  it  burn  to  ashes  on  the 

hearth 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

direction  of  his  trained  nurse  he  could  be  allowed  to 
read  and  write,  free  from  the  annoyance  that  must 
beset  him  when  once  he  returned  home. 

This  arrangement  was  listlessly  agreed  to  by  Miss 
Lady,  who  had  no  plans  for  the  future,  and  dreaded 
another  adjustment.  She  was  singularly  alone  in 
the  world,  and  too  dazed  for  the  present  to  know 
what  her  next  step  should  be.  The  only  thing  of 
which  she  was  certain,  was  that  she  would  never 
leave  Thornwood. 

On  one  of  the  first  days  that  Doctor  Queerington 
was  allowed  to  sit  up,  she  went  in  to  see  him.  Her 
first  impression  in  the  darkened  room  was  the  kindly 
clasp  of  a  hand,  and  a  wonderful  low  voice  that 
spoke  words  of  comfort.  Then  gradually  she  saw 
the  slender,  overserious  face  of  a  middle-aged  man, 
with  small  eyes  somewhat  too  close  together,  a 
broad  intellectual  forehead,  and  a  firm,  well-formed 
mouth  that  seemed  a  stranger  to  smiles. 

From  that  time  on  she  found  his  room  a  refuge. 
He  had  been  the  unknown  object  of  her  admiration 
since  she  was  a  child,  he  was  her  father's  friend, 
the  last  to  be  with  him  before  his  death,  and  he 
talked  to  her  for  hours  about  the  great  mysteries 
of  life  and  death.  He  was  the  only  person  to  whom 
she  talked  who  never  seemed  to  be  in  doubt. 

It  was  not  the  first  time  that  the  Doctor  had 
proven  a  consoling  presence  in  time  of  affliction. 
7  103 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Where  others  conjectured,  or  evaded,  he  boldly  af 
firmed.  The  universe  to  him  was  an  open  book, 
from  which  he  enjoyed  reading  aloud. 

One  morning,  six  weeks  after  the  accident,  Miss 
Lady  came  into  his  room  with  a  handful  of  flowers 
and  found  him  propped  up  in  bed,  his  books  about 
him,  and  a  note  in  his  hand. 

"  I  have  a  communication  from  my  cousin,  Mrs. 
Sequin,"  he  said  with  the  polite  formality  that  was 
habitual  to  him.  "  It  seems  that  she  is  going  to 
honor  me  with  a  visit." 

"  Mrs.  Sequin  ?  "  Miss  Lady  wheeled  so  sud 
denly  that  she  overturned  the  vase  in  which  she 
was  arranging  the  flowers.  "  Now  see  what  I've 
done !  I  '11  fix  it,  Miss  Wuster ;  don't  bother." 

It  apparently  required  little  self-control  for  the 
trained  nurse  to  refrain  from  bothering.  She  was 
sitting  with  her  heels  firmly  hooked  under  the  rung 
of  a  straight-back  chair,  crocheting  with  passionate 
abandon.  Filling  hot-water  bottles,  taking  tempera 
tures,  feeding  patients,  were  mere  interruptions  to 
her  real  vocation  of  converting  spools  of  linen 
thread  into  yards  of  linen  lace. 

"  She  states  her  intention  of  coming  to  see  me," 
the  Doctor  continued,  "  but  I  cannot  decipher  her 
hieroglyphics  sufficiently  to  find  out  the  time.  Per 
haps  you  can  assist  me." 

104 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  Is  this  a  D  ?  "  asked  Miss  Lady,  looking  over 
his  shoulder. 

"  I  judge  so;  an  adaptation  of  the  Greek  character. 
Why  the  art  of  handwriting  should  be  considered 
obsolete,  I  am  at  a  loss  to  — " 

"  Oh,  she  says  she  is  coming  to-day,"  interrupted 
Miss  Lady,  "  on  the  eleven  train.  I  must  go  down 
and  tell  Uncle  Jimpson  to  be  at  the  station,  and  have 
Aunt  Caroline  put  on  another  plate  for  dinner." 

"  Then  what  are  you  going  to  do,  my  dear  ?  " 

"  I  was  going  to  the  cemetery." 

"  You  would  better  come  up  here  instead.  In 
your  mental  state  a  person  is  very  sensitive  to  en 
vironment.  You  should  avoid  everything  that  ex 
cites  the  emotions.  I  think  you  can  trust  me  to 
know  what  is  best  for  you  just  now?  " 

"Indeed  I  can,"  Miss  Lady  said  impulsively; 
"  you  have  helped  me  more  than  anybody.  Daddy 
would  be  so  grateful  if  he  knew." 

"  He  does  know,"  announced  the  Doctor  with  the 
finality  of  one  to  whom  all  things  have  been  revealed. 
"  But  we  must  not  discuss  these  things  now.  Miss 
Wuster  has  just  been  reading  me  the  account  of 
young  Dillingham's  trial.  Perhaps  you  have  been 
following  it?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Miss  Lady  without  looking  up. 

"  It  is  a  matter  of  especial  interest  to  me,"  con- 

105 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

tinued  the  Doctor;  "especial  regret  I  should  say. 
Young  Dillingham  is  engaged  to  be  married  to  the 
daughter  of  my  cousin  whom  I  expect  to-day,  and 
the  other  young  man  involved,  Donald  Morley,  is 
Mrs.  Sequin's  brother." 

"Well  for  the  life  of  me,"  said  Miss  Wuster, 
counting  stitches  between  her  sentences,  "  I  can't 
see  how  they  got  Mr.  Dillingham  off,  unless  it  was 
the  way  Mr.  Gooch  said." 

"  Who  is  Mr.  Gooch?  "  asked  Miss  Lady  of  the 
Doctor. 

"  The  gentleman  who  came  to  see  me  yesterday. 
He  is  a  lawyer  and  has  followed  the  case  closely. 
He  does  not  scruple  to  affirm  that  the  trial  was  a 
farce,  one  of  those  legal  travesties  that  sometimes 
occur  when  a  scion  of  a  rich  and  influential  family 
happens  to  transgress  the  law.  It  seems  that  the 
saloon-keeper,  who  was  at  first  reasonably  sure  of 
what  happened,  suffered  a  strange  lapse  of  memory 
when  on  the  stand.  Gooch  thinks  he  was  bought 
up,  but  Gooch  is  fallible  where  human  motives  are 
involved.  His  misanthropy  invariably  colors  his 
judgment." 

"  Well,  nothing  on  earth  can  keep  me  from  think 
ing  that  Mr.  Dillingham  did  the  shooting!  "  declared 
the  nurse  with  violent  partizanship.  "  Look  at  the 
way  he  sneaked  home,  and  left  the  other  young  man 
to  get  a  doctor  and  help  move  Sheeley  to  the  hospital. 

1 06 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Yes,  sir,  it 's  time  for  your  medicine,  just  wait  'till 
I  finish  this  spool  and  I'll  go  down  and  heat  the 
water." 

"  He  —  he  ought  n't  to  have  gone  away  ?  "  said 
Miss  Lady,  looking  at  the  Doctor  interrogatively. 

"  Donald,  you  mean  ?  Certainly  not,  it  was  most 
ill-advised,  probably  some  quixotic  idea  about  not 
wanting  to  testify  against  his  friend.  If  you  knew 
the  boy  you  would  understand  what  a  hot-headed, 
harum-scarum  person  he  is.  He  was  my  pupil  at 
one  time  and  I  grew  quite  fond  of  him.  He  has 
ability,  undoubted  ability,  but  he  is  a  ship  without  a 
rudder;  he  has  been  drifting  ever  since  he  was 
born." 

"  This  acquittal  of  Mr.  Dillingham  puts  the  blame 
on  —  on  him,  does  n't  it  ?  " 

"  Naturally.  His  absence  at  the  trial  was  un 
doubtedly  one  of  the  strongest  arguments  in  Dil- 
lingham's  favor.  Mr.  Gooch  tells  me  that  the  coun 
sel  for  the  defense  took  especial  pains  to  throw  sus 
picion  upon  Donald.  The  case  has  been  confusing 
in  the  extreme,  the  absence  of  witnesses,  the  failure 
to  establish  the  ownership  of  the  pistol,  the  absurd 
complication  about  the  slot  machine  and  crowbar, 
—  an  absolute  jumble  of  contradictory  evidence. 
As  for  Donald  Morley's  being  guilty,  it 's  absurd ! 
He  is  not  the  sort  of  man  who  runs  away  from 
punishment." 

107 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Miss  Lady's  heart  swelled  with  gratitude.  Of 
course  Donald  Morley  was  nothing  to  her  now. 
She  had  assured  herself  of  that  so  continuously  for 
two  months  that  she  was  beginning  to  believe  it. 
She  knew  that  he  was  wild,  reckless  and  unreliable, 
that  he  had  failed  her  in  her  greatest  need,  and  that 
she  had  put  him  out  of  her  life  forever.  But  it 
was  good  of  the  Doctor  to  take  his  part ! 

"  I  know  now  what  my  father  meant  when  he 
said  you  were  the  justest  man  he  ever  knew !  "  she 
said  timidly,  lifting  a  pair  of  shining  eyes. 

"  Unfortunately  for  Donald  the  Court  does  not 
share  my  opinion.  It  is  not  known  even  by  the 
family  as  yet,  but  Mr.  Gooch  tells  me  that  Donald 
has  been  indicted  by  the  grand  jury." 

"  Indicted ! " 

"  Yes,  he  can  never  return  to  Kentucky  without 
standing  his  trial.  It  is  a  serious  affair  for  him,  I 
fear." 


1 08 


CHAPTER  VIII 

WHEN  in  the  course  of  the  morning  Uncle 
Jimpson  started  to  the  station  to  meet  Mrs. 
Sequin,  he  did  not  have  to  direct  the  course  of  his 
steed.  Had  old  John  not  known  the  way  from 
experience,  the  inherited  memory  of  his  ancestors 
would  have  prompted  him  to  turn  twice  to  the 
right,  once  to  the  left,  and  pull  up  at  a  certain  corner 
of  the  station  platform.  For  the  honor  of  being 
the  Carseys'  "  station  horse  "  had  descended  to  him 
from  his  father  Luke,  whose  father  Mark  had  in 
the  days  of  prosperity  traveled  in  harness  with  Mat 
thew,  fulfilling  that  same  important  office.  Thus 
John  was,  in  a  way,  enjoying  the  distinction  of 
apostolic  succession. 

Arrived  at  the  station  Uncle  Jimpson  stepped 
jauntily  around  the  post-office  box  and  ostentatiously 
took  out  the  Carseys'  mail.  It  was  a  small  act  to 
take  pride  in,  but  in  lieu  of  more  important  duties 
it  had  to  serve.  For  the  past  six  weeks  the  advent 
of  city  people  at  Thornwood  had  stirred  up  old  ambi 
tions  in  him.  A  new  sprightliness  was  observable 
in  his  gait,  a  briskness  in  his  speech,  which  Aunt 

109 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Caroline  did  not  hesitate  to  characterize  as  "  taking 
on  airs." 

The  blood  of  a  butler  coursed  through  Uncle 
Jimpson's  veins,  a  stately,  ebony  butler  who  had 
been  wont  to  stand  at  the  Thornwood  door  during 
the  old  days  and  hold  a  silver  tray  covered  with 
boutonnieres,  for  the  arriving  guests.  Uncle  Jimp- 
son  had  inherited  this  tray  along  with  an  ambition 
that  was  not  above  buttons.  Year  after  year  he 
had  descended  with  the  descending  Carsey  fortunes, 
passing  from  the  house  to  the  horses,  then  to  the 
field,  and  finally  becoming  the  man  of  all  work,  but 
never  relinquishing  that  dream  of  his  youth,  to  stand 
in  livery  in  the  halls  of  the  rich,  and  exercise  those 
talents  with  which  Providence  had  blessed  him. 

As  he  passed  the  compliments  of  the  day  with 
two  farm  hands,  who  were  loading  a  wagon  near 
by,  his  eye  fell  upon  a  strange  object  that  stood  in 
the  door  of  the  dining-room.  It  looked  to  Uncle 
Jimpson  like  pictures  he  had  seen  of  lions,  only  it 
was  small  and  white  and  barked  remarkably  like  a 
dog. 

"  Dat  sure  am  a  curious  lookin'  animal,"  he  ob 
served.  "  Hit  must  b'long  to  a  show." 

One  of  the  farm  hands  laughed  and  pointed  with 
his  thumb  to  the  waiting-room.  Uncle  Jimpson 
tiptoed  to  the  window  and  peered  in.  All  that  he 

no 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

could  see  was  the  back  of  a  very  imposing  lady  and 
the  top  of  a  large  plumed  hat. 

"  Is  —  is  she  a-waitin'  fer  anybody?"  he  whis 
pered,  motioning  anxiously  with  his  soft  hat. 

"Oh!  no,"  said  the  nearest  man;  "she  ain't 
waitin' ;  she  's  just  enjoyin'  the  scenery  on  them  rail 
road  posters.  She  likes  to  set  there,  been  doin'  it 
for  a  half  hour." 

Uncle  Jimpson  scraped  the  mud  from  his  shoes, 
buttoned  the  one  button  that  was  left  on  his  linen 
coat,  and  dropping  his  hat  outside  the  door  sum 
moned  courage  to  present  himself. 

"  'Scuse  me,  mam,  but  does  dis  heah  happen  to  be 
Mrs.  Sequm?  " 

"  It  is,"  said  the  lady,  haughtily. 

"Yas'm,  dat's  what  I  'lowed.  Dat  5s  what  I 
tole  Carline  —  leastwise  dat  's  what  I  'st  gwine  tell 
her.  Ise  Gunnel  Carsey's  coachman." 

Mrs.  Sequin  eyed  him  coldly  through  a  silver 
lorgnette.  "  Did  n't  they  understand  that  I  was 
coming  on  the  eleven  train  ?  " 

"  Yes  'm,  dat 's  right.  But  you  allays  has  to  'low 
fer  dem  narrow  gauges.  Dey  has  to  run  slow  to 
keep  from  fallin'  offen  de  track.  Dat  must  have 
been  de  ten  o'clock  train  you  come  on." 

"  Not  at  all,  I  left  the  city  at  ten  minutes  of 
eleven." 

in 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  Yas  'm,  dat  was  de  ten  train  den.  De  leben 
train  don't  start  'til  long  about  noon." 

"Preposterous!"  said  Mrs.  Sequin,  sweeping  to 
her  feet.  "  Take  me  to  the  carriage.  Fanchonette ! 
Where  are  you?  " 

Uncle  Jimpson  apologetically  dragged  forward  his 
left  foot,  upon  the  trouser  hem  of  which  the  small 
dog  had  fastened  her  sharp  little  teeth. 

"  Frightfully  obstinate  little  beast,"  said  Mrs. 
Sequin,  "  she  won't  let  go  until  she  gets  ready.  You 
need  n't  be  afraid  of  her  biting  you.  She  could  n't 
be  induced  to  bite  a  colored  person." 

Uncle  Jimpson,  carrying  the  dog  along  on  his  foot, 
led  the  way,  while  Mrs.  Sequin,  with  the  cautious 
tread  of  a  stout  person  used  to  the  treacheries  of 
oriental  rugs  on  hardwood  floors,  followed.  She 
was  a  woman  of  full  figure  and  imposing  presence, 
whose  elaborate  coiffure  and  attention  to  detail  in 
dress,  gave  evidence  that  the  world  had  its  claims. 

At  sight  of  the  shabby,  old,  mud-covered  buggy, 
and  the  decrepit  apostolic  John  she  paused. 

Jimpson  all  obsequious  politeness,  put  a  linen 
duster  over  the  wheel,  and  with  a  gesture  worthy  of 
Chesterfield,  handed  her  in. 

"  I  wish  the  top  up,"  she  commanded.  "  The 
glare  is  unspeakable." 

Uncle  Jimpson,  standing  by  the  wheel,  shuffled 
his  feet  in  embarrassment:  "  Yas  'm,"  he  agreed, 

112 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  I  '11  put  it  up  effen  you  want  me  to.  But  it  won't 
stay  up.  No,  mam,  it  won't  stay.  Looks  lak  in 
de  las'  two  or  three  years  it  got  a  way  o'  fallin'  back. 
Gunnel  'lowed  he  was  gwine  to  git  it  fixed  onct  or 
twict,  but  he  ain't  done  it." 

Fanchonette  just  here  became  enraged  at  a  bit 
of  paper  that  was  caught  in  the  wheel,  and  gave 
vent  to  such  a  violent  burst  of  temper  that  it  re 
quired  the  undivided  attention  of  her  mistress  to 
calm  her. 

Uncle  Jimpson,  occupying  the  smallest  possible 
portion  of  the  seat,  and  with  one  leg  hanging  outside 
the  buggy,  rejoiced  in  the  proximity  of  so  much 
elegance.  It  gave  him  a  feeling  of  prosperity  and 
importance,  and  made  him  straighten  his  back, 
crook  his  elbow,  and  even  adopt  a  more  formal 
manner  with  old  John.  He  deeply  regretted  that 
he  had  not  put  on  a  clean  coat  and  as  for  the  buggy, 
he  was  already  planning  a  thorough  cleaning  of  it 
before  driving  the  stylish  guest  back  in  the  after 
noon. 

"  Stop  a  moment !  "  commanded  Mrs.  Sequin  per 
emptorily.  "  What  a  view !  I  had  no  idea  there 
was  such  scenery  anywhere  around  here !  " 

"  Yas  'm,  hits  about  de  fines'  sceneries  in  de  world ! 
You  kin  see  from  dem  heights  clean  down  to  de 
bridge.  All  dis  hill  used  to  be  our-alls.  I  'mem 
ber  hearin'  how  Mr.  Rogers  Clark  done  gib  it  to 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

de  Gunnel's  gran'paw    fer  a  Ian'   grant  when  de 
Injuns  libed  here !  " 

"  Who  owns  it  now  ?     Who  owns  the  hilltop  ?  " 
"  I  don't  know,  mam.     We  been  sellin'  off  con 
siderable." 

"  Well,  I  must  find  out  about  that  at  once.  I  '11 
send  an  agent  out  to-morrow  to  look  into  the  mat 
ter.  Colonel  Carsey  left  only  one  daughter,  I  be 
lieve,  and  she  never  married  ?  " 

Uncle  Jimpson  jerked  the  reins  and  looked  a  bit 
nettled. 

"  Not  yit,"  he  said,  "  but  she  ain't  no  old  maid, 
Miss  Lady  ain't.     Dere  neber  wuz  a  Carsey  lady 
yit  dat  withered  on  de  stalk;  de  trouble  wif  dem 
is  dey  git  picked  too  soon.     Ez  fer  Miss  Lady's  ma, 
she  was  n't  but  jes  turned  sebenteen  when  me  an'  de 
Gunnel  went  down  to  Alabama  to  marry  her." 
"  Who  are  Miss  Carsey's  relatives,  her  advisers?  " 
"  She  ain't  got  none.     She  did  n't  hab  a  living 
breathin'  soul  but  her  paw,  'ceptin'  me  an'  Carline, 
an'  Carline's  liable  to  drop  off  mos'  anytime." 
"  But  who  is  going  to  live  with  her?  " 
"  I  spec  she  gwine  git  married  some  day,"  Jimp- 
son  said  hopefully,  "  all  de  boys  been  plumb  'stracted 
'bout  dat  chile  since  she  wuz  a  little  girl.     But  she 
wuz  so  crazy  'bout  her  paw,  she  jes  laff  at  'em. 
Now  de  Gunnel 's  gone,  she  '11  hab  to  git  somebody 
else  to  make  ober." 

114 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  Well,  I  must  find  out  about  that  hill,"  said  Mrs. 
Sequin,  turning  for  a  last  glimpse.  "  Whose  old 
place  is  this  we  are  coming  to?  " 

"  Dis  is  our  place,  dis  is  Thornwood,"  said  Uncle 
Jimpson,  half  in  pride,  half  in  apology,  as  he  skirted 
the  holes  in  the  road.  "  It  don't  look  lak  itself. 
It 's  a  terrible  pretty  place  when  it 's  fixed  up/' 

"  Dreadfully  run  down,"  said  Mrs.  Sequin  to  her 
self,  making  a  sweeping  survey  of  the  premises, 
"  all  this  front  lawn  ought  to  be  terraced  and  have 
granitoid  walks  and  formal  approaches.  The  house 
could  be  made  quite  imposing." 

They  had  turned  in  the  long  winding  avenue,  and 
were  following  the  old  gray  wall  that  swept  in  a 
wide  circle  past  the  negro  cabins,  then  toward  the 
house. 

Suddenly  Mrs.  Sequin  pointed  dramatically  to  the 
little  porch  of  one  of  the  cabins. 

"  A  Sheraton !  Great  heavens !  Where  did  it 
come  from?  What  is  it  doing  there?  " 

Uncle  Jimpson,  following  the  direction  of  her 
finger,  looked  surprised :  "  Dat  ain't  no  sheraton, 
dat's  a  sideboard.  Leastwise  it  wuz  one  'fore  I 
fixed  it  into  a  chicken  coop.  I  took  out  de  drawers 
and  put  on  dem  cross-pieces.  Got  forty  de  purtiest 
little  chickens  you  eber  seen !  " 

"  And  the  legs  are  curved  and  have  knobs,  have  n't 
they?" 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  No,  mam,  dey  ain't  no  more  bow-legged  dan 
most  chickens.  Do  you  raise  chickens  on  your 
place?  " 

"  No,  but  we  may  when  we  get  to  the  country. 
By  the  way,  you  don't  happen  to  know  of  a  good 
colored  man  around  here,  do  you  ?  One  who  under 
stands  horses,  and  would  look  well  in  livery?  " 

Uncle  Jimpson's  eyes  set  in  their  sockets.  Old 
John  and  the  rattling  buggy  faded  from  his  con 
sciousness.  In  their  place  he  saw  himself  on  the  box 
seat  of  a  grand  Victoria,  in  a  double-breasted  coat 
and  high  hat,  lightly  shaking  the  reins  across  the 
backs  of  two  sleek  thoroughbreds.  It  was  even 
more  alluring  than  his  cherished  dream  of  butler- 
hood!  Already  he  felt  his  swelling  chest  strain 
against  the  gold  buttons ! 

But  what  about  Miss  Lady?  Who  was  going 
to  stay  at  Thornwood  and  take  care  of  her? 
Domestic  infelicities  had  rendered  him  callous  to 
Aunt  Caroline's  claims,  but  Miss  Lady,  his  "  little 
Missis"? 

"  No,  mam,"  he  said  dejectedly  as  he  assisted  Mrs. 
Sequin  to  alight.  "  I  can't  say  ez  I  do,  not  jes'  at 
present.  Sometime  I  might  heah  ob  a  good  man, 
say  'bout  my  size  an'  build.  You,  Mike!" 

Mike  had  rushed  at  the  small  poodle  with  the  ap 
parent  intention  of  swallowing  her  at  a  mouthful, 
but  at  Uncle  Jimpson's  stern  reproof  he  snapped  at 

116 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

a  fly  instead,  and  tried  to  give  the  impression  that 
that  was  what  he  was  after  all  along. 

"  Ain't  you  'shamed  ob  yourself?  "  Uncle  Jimpson 
muttered.  "  Fussin'  -'round  here  an'  stickin'  out  yer 
lip  at  white  folks?  Come  on  'round  back  where 
you  b'longs.  You  an'  me  is  corn-field  niggers  dat  's 
all  we  is !  " 

And  with  that  irritable  dejection  that  often  fol 
lows  self-sacrifice,  Uncle  Jimpson  limped  away  with 
the  subdued  Mike  skulking  at  his  heels. 


117 


CHAPTER  IX 

AS  Mrs.  Basil  Sequin  swept  up  the  broad  steps 
at  Thornvvood,  she  congratulated  herself  upon 
a  duty  about  to  be  accomplished.  She  had  not  fore 
gone  a  bridge  luncheon  to  make  this  tiresome  trip 
to  the  country  for  purely  altruistic  reasons.  She 
had  come  to  prove  to  herself,  and  to  her  circle,  the 
bond  of  friendship  that  existed  between  -her  and  her 
distinguished  cousin.  Experience  had  taught  her 
that  an  occasional  reference  to  "my  favorite  cousin, 
John  Jay  Queerington,  the  author,  you  know,"  had 
its  influence.  "  His  is  the  only  great  intellect,"  she 
was  fond  of  telling  her  husband,  "  to  which  I  am 
related  either  by  blood  or  marriage." 

Doctor  Queerington's  reputation  was  one  of  those 
local  assumptions  that  might  be  described  as  prena 
tal  rather  than  posthumous.  It  was  what  he  was 
going  to  be,  that  made  his  name  an  awe-inspiring 
word  in  the  community,  more  than  what  he  was 
already.  It  was  the  conviction  of  his  friends  and 
colleagues  that  a  tardy  world  would  too  late  recog 
nize  his  genius. 

After  waiting  impatiently  for  some  one  to  respond 
118 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

to  her  vigorous  use  of  the  heavy  knocker,  Mrs. 
Sequin  tucked  Fanchonette  under  her  arm  and 
pushed  open  the  door.  The  hall  had  doors  to  right 
and  left,  but  before  making  further  investigations 
she  paused  to  examine  minutely  the  tall  mahogany 
clock,  and  the  quaint  silver  candlesticks  that  stood 
on  an  old  table  at  the  foot  of  the  steps. 

While  bending  to  inspect  the  latter,  she  heard  a 
door  open,  and  looking  up  saw  a  pretty,  slender  girl 
in  a  short  white  petticoat  and  a  sleeveless  black  dress 
lining,  which  displayed  a  pair  of  remarkably  shapely 
arms. 

"  Oh,  I  didn't  know  you  had  come!  "  exclaimed 
the  young  person,  cordially  extending  a  smiling  wel 
come.  "  What  a  darling  little  dog !  Is  he  a 
poodle?" 

"  She  is  a  French  poodle,"  said  Mrs.  Sequin  with 
a  manner  intended  to  impress  this  exceedingly  casual 
person.  "  Where  shall  I  find  my  cousin,  Doctor 
Queerington  ?  " 

"  The  front  room  up-stairs,  on  that  side.  I  'd 
go  up  with  you,  only  Miss  Ferney  Foster,  our  neigh 
bor,  is  fitting  this  lining  and  she  has  to  get  back  to 
her  pickles.  I  wish  we  were  born  feathered  like 
birds,  don't  you?  " 

Mrs.  Sequin,  who  had  a  masculine  susceptibility 
to  a  pretty  face,  could  not  repress  a  smile. 

"  I  know  this  lining  looks  queer,"  went  on  the  girl 
8  119 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

with  an  answering  twinkle.  "  But  it  does  n't  look 
any  queerer  than  it  feels.  Miss  Ferney  does  n't 
know  what 's  the  matter,  and  neither  do  I.  Would 
you  mind  taking  a  peep  at  it  up  there  between  the 
shoulders?  I  '11  hold  the  doggie." 

To  her  surprise,  Mrs.  Sequin  found  herself  re 
moving  her  gloves,  and  adjusting  a  badly  cut  lining 
across  a  smooth  white  neck,  while  the  girl  before 
her,  having  shifted  all  responsibility,  fell  to  making 
love  to  the  poodle  which  she  cuddled  in  her  ajms. 

"  It 's  too  tight  here,"  said  Mrs.  Sequin,  pinning 
and  adjusting,  "  and  too  loose  there.  Have  her  take 
up  the  side  seams  to  the  place  I  have  marked,  and 
lengthen  the  shoulder  seams  at  least  an  inch." 

"  Thank  you  so  much.  It  feels  heavenly  now. 
You  go  right  up-stairs !  You  can  take  your  things 
off  in  my  room,  if  you  like,  just  across  the  hall 
from  the  Doctor's."  And  without  further  ceremony 
the  young  hostess  went  tripping  down  the  hall,  leav 
ing  Mrs.  Sequin  to  ascend  the  stairs  alone. 

Ascending  was  one  of  Mrs.  Sequin's  chief  ac 
complishments.  Twenty-five  years'  experience  on 
the  social  ladder  had  made  her  exceedingly  sure 
footed.  Her  reward  now  was  in  sitting  on  the  top 
rung  and  dictating  arbitrarily  to  all  those  below. 
She  had  acquired  a  passion  for  dictating,  for  ar 
ranging,  and  setting  in  order.  The  crooked  seams 
which  she  had  just  pinned  straight  gave  her  a  satis- 

120 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

faction  that  almost  counteracted  her  annoyance  at 
the  informality  of  her  reception. 

Once  established  at  the  Doctor's  bedside,  with  the 
nurse  detailed  to  exercise  Fanchonette  in  the  yard 
below,  she  gave  herself  up  to  the  pleasure  of  recount 
ing  at  length  her  troubles  of  the  past  few  months. 
She  enjoyed  talking,  as  a  prima  donna  enjoys  sing 
ing  :  she  loved  to  hear  the  cadences  of  her  own  voice, 
and  to  watch  the  gestures  of  her  jeweled  hands. 

"  It 's  an  unspeakable  relief,"  she  assured  the  Doc 
tor,  "  to  actually  see  with  my  own  eyes  that  you 
are  n't  a  mangled  cripple  from  the  terrible  wreck ! 
You  can't  imagine  how  frightfully  anxious  I  've 
been,  but  then  this  whole  spring  has  been  a  veritable 
nightmare.  Donald  and  Lee  Dillingham  both  in 
volved  in  this  unspeakable  scrape,  Margery  on  the 
verge  of  nervous  prostration,  you  perhaps  fatally 
injured,  and  Basil  Sequin  too  engrossed  in  his  own 
affairs  to  give  mine  a  moment's  consideration." 

"  Basil  has  grave  responsibilities  as  president  of 
the  People's  Bank,  Katherine,"  said  the  Doctor, 
keeping  his  fingers  between  the  leaves  of  the  mas 
sive  volume  which  he  had  regretfully  closed  at  her 
entrance.  "  I,  for  one,  owe  him  a  debt  of  gratitude 
for  relieving  me  of  all  financial  anxiety.  Besides 
you  are  always  thoroughly  capable  of  taking  the 
reins  in  a  family  crisis." 

"  Yes,  but  it 's  telling  on  me.  I  notice  it  in  bridge. 
121 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

I  am  not  the  player  I  was  a  year  ago.  This  trial  of 
Lee  Dillingham's  has  been  a  hideous  strain.  Of 
course,  if  he  had  been  convicted,  I  should  have  com 
pelled  Margery  to  break  her  engagement,  and  that 
would  have  complicated  things  frightfully.  You 
know  his  grandfather,  the  old  general,  is  the  largest 
stockholder  in  the  People's  Bank,  and  Basil  insists 
that  he  must  not  be  offended.  That  was  one  reason 
why  I  was  so  anxious  to  keep  Don  out  of  the  way. 
Even  if  Lee  was  guilty,  Don  could  n't  appear  against 
him  when  he  was  engaged  to  Margery.  The  only 
possible  course  was  to  hush  up  the  entire  affair  with 
as  little  publicity  as  possible.  Thank  heaven,  Gen 
eral  Dillingham  has  gotten  Lee  off,  and  I  am  begin 
ning  to  breathe  again." 

"  And  you  have  heard  nothing  from  Donald?  " 
"  No,  indeed,  and  I  hope  I  won't  for  the  present. 
I  wrote  immediately  after  the  shooting  to  every  place 
I  could  possibly  think  of  his  going,  and  implored 
him,  if  he  had  a  grain  of  gratitude  for  me,  or  affec 
tion  for  Margery,  that  he  would  keep  away,  and  not 
even  let  his  whereabouts  be  known  until  this 
wretched  affair  had  blown  over.  I  can  nearly  al 
ways  appeal  to  Don  on  the  score  of  gratitude.  I 
must  say  for  him  that,  like  the  rest  of  the  Morley 
men,  he  sows  his  wild  oats  like  a  gentleman.  You 
remember  Uncle  Curtis?  They  said  at  the  club 
he  was  a  frightful  drinker,  and  yet  not  a  woman  of 

122 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

his  family  ever  saw  him  intoxicated.  Then  look 
at  Grandfather  Morley !  " 

Mrs.  Sequin  was  mounted  on  a  favorite  hobby. 
She  had  a  large  and  varied  collection  of  family 
skeletons,  some  of  rare  antiquity,  which  she  de 
lighted  in  exhibiting.  She  could  recount  the  de 
tails  of  the  unfortunate  matrimonial  alliances  on 
both  sides  of  the  family  for  generations  back,  and 
was  even  more  infallible  in  the  matter  of  birth  dates 
than  the  family  Bible.  If  a  relative  by  any  .chance 
got  a  trifle  confused,  and  acknowledged  to  thirty- 
nine  next  June  instead  of  last  June,  Mrs.  Sequin 
pounced  upon  the  error  like  a  cat  on  a  mouse.  She 
could  prove  to  him  immediately  that  he  was  born  the 
spring  that  Uncle  Lem  Miller  died,  and  that  was 
the  same  year  that  Grandmother  Weller  married 
the  second  time,  therefore  he  was  thirty-nine  last 
June. 

"  Donald  ought  to  return  at  once,"  declared  Doc 
tor  Queerington,  when  she  paused  for  breath;  "  if  he 
is  guilty,  he  ought  to  take  his  punishment;  if  inno 
cent,  as  I  believe,  he  ought  to  be  vindicated." 

"  Well,  we  can't  find  him,"  said  Mrs.  Sequin  with 
resigned  cheerfulness.  "  He  is  probably  in  the 
Orient  with  Cropsie  Decker.  What  a  magnificent 
bed  this  is !  Do  you  suppose  I  could  buy  it  ?  Coun 
try  people  nearly  always  prefer  new  furniture." 

The  suggestion  of  a  smile  hovered  over  the  Doc- 
123 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

tor's  thin  lips :  "  Thornwood's  possessions,  I  imag 
ine,  are  not  for  sale." 

"  I  suppose  the  extraordinary  young  person  I  met 
in  the  front  hall  was  Miss  Carsey?  What  sort  of  a 
girl  is  she,  anyhow  ?  " 

"Miss  Lady?"  The  Doctor  shifted  his  pillow. 
"  An  extremely  nice  girl,  I  believe.  Exceedingly 
sympathetic  and  attentive  to  all  my  wants,  and  re 
ceptive  to  a  remarkable  degree.  She  has  been  read 
ing  to  me  daily,  and  I  find  rather  an  unusual  mind, 
undisciplined  of  course,  but  original  and  interesting." 

"  But  what  amazing  manners  the  child  has !  She 
greeted  me  in  her  bare  arms,  and  asked  me  to  fit  a 
dress  for  her  when  she  had  never  seen  me  before 
in  her  life.  But  she  certainly  is  pretty!  I  haven't 
seen  as  pretty  a  creature  for  years." 

"  Indeed !  "  said  the  Doctor,  adjusting  his  eye 
glasses.  "  I  had  not  observed  it,  especially.  A  fine, 
frank  countenance,  with  dark  eyes  —  yes,  I  believe 
I  did  notice  that  she  had  chestnut  eyes  of  unusual 
clearness;  I  remember  I  did  notice  that." 

"  What  is  she  going  to  do  ?  Who  is  going  to  stay 
with  her?"  asked  Mrs.  Sequin.  "Fancy  a  girl 
like  that  buried  here  in  the  country!  Properly 
dressed,  and  toned  down  a  bit,  she  'd  make  a  sen 
sation.  I  should  n't  at  all  mind  asking  her  in  to 
spend  a  few  days  with  me  sometime.  You  know  I 
adore  young  people,  and  poor  Margery,  like  all  the 

124 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

other  last  year  debutantes,  is  simply  done  for. 
Has  n't  a  spark  of  enthusiasm  for  anything.  I  hope 
you  have  not  forgotten  the  fact  that  your  Constance 
ought  to  come  out  this  winter  ?  " 

"  My  dear  Katherine,"  said  the  Doctor  with  an  air 
of  enforced  patience,  "  you  do  not  seem  to  realize 
that  my  time  and  mind  are  engrossed  in  far  greater 
things  than  society.  I  hope  in  the  next  year  to 
complete  the  fifth  and  last  volume  of  my  i  History 
of  the  Norman  Influence  on  English  Literature  and 
Language/  If  I  have  been  able  to  give  my  children 
very  little  of  my  time  and  attention,  it  is  only  be 
cause  of  my  desire  to  leave  them  something  of  far 
greater  worth  —  a  name  that  I  trust  will  stand 
among  those  of  the  foremost  English  scholars  of 
my  day." 

Mrs.  Sequin  soothed  her  irritation  by  studying  her 
highly  polished  nails.  "  Of  course,  that  will  be  an 
advantage  to  them.  But  what  on  earth  's  to  become 
of  them  in  the  meanwhile?  Heaven  knows  what 
Hattie  will  develop  into  if  she  is  n't  taken  in  hand. 
She  refuses  to  have  trimming  on  her  underclothes 
now,  and  wears  boy's  shoes.  As  for  Constance ! 
I  've  quite  despaired  of  getting  hold  of  her.  She 's 
simply  running  wild,  making  no  social  connections 
whatever.  What  they  really  need,  Cousin  John,  is 
a  mother." 

"  I  must  try  to  look  after  them  more,"  the  Doc- 

125 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

tor  said,   somewhat  helplessly.     "  Have   you   seen 
them  recently?  " 

"  I  came  by  there  this  morning.  They  were  all 
well,  I  suppose;  Connie  was  at  the  Ivy's  as  usual, 
and  Hattie  at  school.  What  a  savage  creature  your 
new  cook,  Myrtella,  is.  I  believe  she  is  an  anarchist  I 
She  opened  the  door  only  a  crack,  and  when  I  asked 
her  how  the  young  ladies  were,  she  said  she  was 
sure  she  did  n't  know,  that  she  had  n't  asked  them." 

"And  Bertie,  did  you  see  Bertie?" 

"  Yes,  he  was  with  her.  Had  a  dirty  piece  of 
dough  in  his  hands  which  he  said  was  going  to 
be  a  cake.  I  must  say  she  seems  good  to  Bertie,  but 
I  would  not  tolerate  her  impertinence  for  a  moment." 

"  Myrtella  carries  concealed  virtues,"  said  the 
Doctor.  "  She  is  an  excellent  cook,  and  a  good 
manager.  Her  only  faults,  apparently,  are  faults 
of  the  disposition." 

"From  which  Heaven  defend  me!  What  on 
earth  is  that  noise?  It  sounds  as  if  some  one  were 
kicking  the  door." 

"  Please  open !  "  called  a  voice  from  without,  and 
as  Mrs.  Sequin  complied,  Miss  Lady  came  in,  carry 
ing  a  large  luncheon  tray  gaily  decorated  with 
flowers  from  the  garden. 

"  *  Blest  be  those  feasts  with  simple  plenty 
crowned,'  "  quoted  the  Doctor.  "  You  see  how  they 
spoil  me,  Katherine  ?  " 

126 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  I  don't  believe  he  could  be  spoiled,  do  you,  Mrs. 
Sequin?"  Miss  Lady  asked,  as  she  fixed  his  eggs. 
"  Is  there  anything  else,  Doctor  ?  " 

"  Don't  run  away,"  Mrs.  Sequin  said,  following 
her  movements  with  frank  admiration.  "  Come 
here  and  sit  down,  I  want  to  talk  to  you.  I  Ve  dis 
covered  the  ideal  site  for  my  new  house,  and  I  want 
to  ask  you  about  it.  You  know  the  western  crest 
of  this  hill  overlooking  the  river;  did  that  belong 
to  your  father  ?  " 

"  It  all  used  to  be  ours,  long  before  it  was  ever 
called  Billy-goat  Hill." 

"  The  name  is  a  handicap,"  said  the  Doctor. 
"  You  might  modify  it,  Katherine,  by  calling  your 
prospective  mansion  '  Angora  Heights/  ' 

"  The  very  thing,"  said  Mrs.  Sequin,  eager  to 
seize  upon  any  suggestion  that  emanated  from  the 
Queerington  intellect.  "  But  who  does  the  ground 
belong  to?" 

"  It  belongs  to  Mr.  Wicker,  now." 

"Wicker?"  repeated  Mrs.  Sequin.  "Where 
have  I  heard  that  name?  Why,  Cousin  John, 
was  n't  that  the  man  Don  stayed  with,  when  he  was 
looking  for  a  farm?  How  we  laughed  over  that 
absurd  notion  of  his  farming!  " 

"  I  did  not  laugh  at  it,"  said  the  Doctor.  "  I  en 
couraged  him.  It  seemed  to  me  the  most  excellent 
idea!" 

127 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  But  you  did  not  allow  for  Don's  fickleness.  Of 
course  he  Js  a  darling  fellow  but  he  has  had  as  many 
hobbies  as  he  has  had  sweethearts." 

"  I  allowed  for  his  character,  which  may  yet  strike 
root  in  the  proper  soil,"  the  Doctor  said  with  dignity ; 
then  turning  to  Miss  Lady,  who  had  risen  and  was 
standing  by  the  bed,  her  hands  tightly  clasped  and 
her  eyes  fixed  on  his,  he  explained :  "  We  are  speak 
ing  of  the  young  brother  of  Mrs.  Sequin;  I  was 
telling  you  about  him  this  morning.  Why,  child !  " 
For  Miss  Lady  had  suddenly  dropped  her  face  in  her 
hands  and  made  a  rush  for  the  door. 

"  It 's  the  shock  of  her  father's  death,"  explained 
Mrs.  Sequin,  who  prided  herself  on  divining  motives. 
"  I  was  like  that  for  weeks  when  my  last  dog  was 
run  over.  The  most  casual  thing  would  upset  me. 
I  lost  two  games  of  cards  one  afternoon  because 
somebody  merely  mentioned  an  icewagon." 

The  Doctor's  long,  slender  fingers  drummed  ab 
sently  on  the  bedspread.  Presently  he  broke  in 
quite  irrelevantly  on  Mrs.  Sequin's  steady  flow  of 
talk :  "  I  said  chestnut  brown,  Katherine,  they  are 
more  of  a  hazel,  I  should  say,  a  deep  hazel  with  con 
siderable  fire." 


128 


CHAPTER  X 

THE  long,  summer  months  dragged  their  length 
for  Miss  Lady,  months  of  heartache  and  re 
bellion,  of  loneliness  and  tears.  Then  came  a  day 
when,  without  apparent  reason,  the  shadows  lifted. 
She  was  tramping  across  the  river  flats,  with  Mike 
at  her  heels,  when  once  again  she  heard  the  world 
singing,  and  before  she  knew  it  an  answering  song 
sprang  to  her  lips. 

Uncle  Jimpson,  plowing  near  by,  looked  up  and 
smiled : 

"  Dat  's  right,  Honey ;  sounds  lak  ole  times  to 
hear  you  singin'  ag'in.  I  was  jus'  settin'  here  sted- 
dyin'  how  good  I  'd  feel  ef  de  Gunnel  could  come 
a  stompin'  'long  an'  gimme  one  of  his  'fore-de-war 
cussin's  fer  bein'  lazy." 

"  Oh,  Uncle  Jimpson,  if  he  could !  It  seems  so 
long  since  he  left  us.  I  have  just  been  over  to  Miss 
Ferney's,  but  she  was  n't  there.  I  want  to  get  her 
to  come  and  stay  with  me  until  I  know  what  I  am 
going  to  do.  They  expect  to  take  the  Doctor  home 
to-morrow." 

"  Yas  'm,  Carline  was  tellin'  me.  Looks  to  me  lak 
129 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

he 's  been  well  enough  to  go  fer  some  time."  Uncle 
Jimpson  scratched  his  head  wisely. 

"  I  don't  know  what 's  to  become  of  us,"  said  Miss 
Lady  ruefully  twisting  Mike's  ears.  "  They  say 
unless  I  sell  the  rest  of  Thornwood,  we  won't  have 
money  enough  to  live  on.  But  I  won't  sell  another 
acre.  I  '11  teach  school  first." 

Uncle  Jimpson  was  scandalized :  "  Now,  Miss 
Lady,  chile,  don't  you  git  dem  notions  in  your  head. 
Dem  's  ole  maid  notions,  you  ain't  no  ole  maid  yit ! 
Why  don't  you  git  married,  and  git  a  kerridge,  an' 
I  '11  dribe  an'  Carline  '11  cook  an'  tak'  care  de  chil- 
lun." 

"  I  'm  never  going  to  marry,  Uncle  Jimpson,"  Miss 
Lady  declared,  with  the  passionate  assurance  of 
youth.  "  And  I  am  never  going  to  leave  Thorn- 
wood.  If  you  see  Miss  Ferney  going  down  the 
road,  ask  her  to  stop  by  a  minute.  Come  on,  Mike, 
we  are  late  now." 

And  they  were  late,  five  minutes,  by  the  open- 
faced  watch  that  lay  in  the  Doctor's  hand  as  they 
entered  the  garden.  He  was  sitting  in  his  wheel 
chair  with  his  books  and  manuscripts  on  a  table  at  his 
elbow,  and  he  lifted  an  expectant  face  toward  the 
gate  as  she  entered. 

It  was  strange  what  two  months  at  Thornwood 
had  done  for  the  Doctor.  He  had  been  brought  there 
unconscious,  a  serious,  middle-aged  professor,  who 

130 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

had  run  in  the  same  groove  for  twenty  years.  The 
same  surroundings,  the  same  people,  the  same  monot 
onous,  daily  routine  had  rendered  him  as  rusty  and 
faded  as  the  text-books  he  lived  with.  Nothing 
short  of  a  collision  could  have  jolted  him  out  of  his 
rut,  and  the  collision  had  arrived. 

The  sudden  change  from  the  grim  realism  of  a 
lecture  platform,  with  its  bleak  blackboard  and  creak 
ing  chalk,  to  the  romance  of  an  old  flower  garden 
where  blossoms  flirted  with  each  other  across  the 
borders,  and  birds  made  love  in  every  bough,  was 
enough  to  freshen  the  spirit  of  even  a  John  Jay 
Queerington.  His  cosmic  conscience,  which  usu 
ally  worked  overtime,  striving  to  solve  problems 
which  Nature  had  given  up,  seemed  to  be  asleep. 
His  fine,  serious  face  relaxed  somewhat  from  its 
austerity,  and  as  the  days  passed  he  read  less  and 
observed  more. 

His  observations,  before  long,  resulted  in  a  dis 
covery;  he,  who  was  so  weary  of  the  cultivated  hot 
house  species  of  femininity,  had  chanced  quite  by 
accident  upon  a  rare,  unclassified  wild-flower,  that 
piqued  his  curiosity  and  enlisted  his  interest.  For 
two  months  he  had  depended  almost  entirely  upon 
his  young  hostess  for  companionship,  and  the  fact 
that  the  large  box  of  books  he  had  ordered  from 
the  city  remained  unopened,  gave  evidence  that  the 
Doctor  had  not  been  bored. 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

During  the  hours  when  he  was  not  engrossed  in 
verifying  statistics,  and  appending  references  to 
those  voluminous  and  still  accumulating  notes  for 
the  fifth  volume  of  his  great  work,  he  devoted  him 
self  to  sorting  and  arranging  the  odds  and  ends  of 
facts  and  fancies  that  he  found  stored  away  in  Miss 
Lady's  brain.  Under  ordinary  circumstances  he 
would  have  dismissed  a  pupil  to  whom  clearness  and 
accuracy  were  strangers,  and  whose  attention  wan 
dered  with  every  passing  butterfly.  In  the  class 
room  he  not  only  demanded  but  practised  order  and 
system.  He  arrived  at  his  conclusions  by  as 
methodical  a  series  of  mental  actions  as  he  arrived 
at  his  desk  every  morning  at  twenty-nine  minutes  to 
nine.  But  these  were  not  ordinary  circumstances. 

The  impetuous  young  person  who  listened  to  him 
with  such  rapt  admiration  and  respect,  when  she 
listened  at  all,  had  no  method  or  system  whatever. 
She  simply  waited  for  the  hint,  the  flash  that  re 
vealed  the  vision,  then  she  joyously  and  fearlessly 
leaped  to  her  conclusion. 

The  fact  that  amazed  him  was  not  that  she  fre 
quently  landed  before  he  did,  but  that  she  landed  at 
all! 

As  for  Miss  Lady  herself,  she  was  finding  the 
Doctor's  interest  and  companionship  a  welcome  sol 
ace  in  her  loneliness.  The  well  of  his  knowledge 
seemed  to  her  fathomless,  and  she  never  tired  of 

132 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

hanging  over  the  brink  and  looking  down,  often 
seeing  stars  in  the  darkness  that  she  never  saw  in 
the  day. 

When  this  last  lesson  was  finished,  the  Doctor 
closed  the  book  reluctantly : 

"  I  have  given  you  the  merest  outline  for  future 
work,"  he  said.  "  The  rest  remains  with  you. 
Have  you  decided  yet  what  you  are  going  to  do  ?  " 

"  No,  I  '11  do  whatever  you  tell  me,  Doctor.  Only 
I  do  hope  it  won't  be  to  teach  school, —  the  very 
thought  of  teaching  makes  me  shrivel." 

"  It  is  not  altogether  beyond  the  range  of  possibil 
ity  that  you  will  marry,"  said  the  Doctor,  tracing 
parallelograms  on  the  arm  of  the  chair.  "  Such 
things  do  happen,  you  know." 

Miss  Lady,  sitting  with  her  elbows  on  the  table 
and  her  chin  on  her  palms,  flashed  a  strange,  ques 
tioning  glance  at  him. 

"  Do  you  believe  in  love,  Doctor  ?  " 

"  Why,  of  course,  you  foolish  girl,  in  all  its  mani 
festations,  filial,  paternal,  marital.  Assuredly  I 
do." 

"  But  I  mean  that  other  kind,  the  kind  that  makes 
a  little  heaven  for  a  man  and  woman  here  on  earth, 
that  answers  all  their  longings,  so  that  nothing  else 
matters,  just  so  they  have  each  other.  I  read  about 
it  in  novels  and  in  poetry,  but  I  don't  see  it.  The 
married  people  I  know  take  each  other  as  much  for 

133 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

granted  as  they  do  their  hands  and  feet.     That 's 
not  what  love  means  to  me." 

The  Doctor  smiled  indulgently.  "  Wait  until  you 
have  passed  the  sentimental  age  before  you  give 
your  verdict!  Most  young  ladies  imagine  that  be 
cause  love  does  not  arrive,  full  panoplied  on  a  snow- 
white  steed,  that  it  is  not  love.  You,  probably,  like 
the  rest,  have  read  too  many  romantic  novels. 
When  you  come  to  know  life  better  you  will  realize 
that  moral  equality  and  intellectual  affinity  promise 
a  much  safer  union  than  a  violent  romantic  attach 
ment." 

She  regarded  him  as  earnestly  as  if  he  had  been 
the  fount  of  all  wisdom. 

"  How  long  does  it  usually  last?  "  she  asked. 

"Last?  "he  repeated. 

"  The  sentimental  age.  I  suppose  a  girl  ought 
to  get  through  it  by  the  time  she  is  twenty.  But  I 
never  do  things  on  time.  I  did  n't  even  know  I 
was  sentimental  until  you  told  me.  I  have  learned 
a  great  many  things  since  you  came." 

"  There  were  some  things  you  did  not  need  to 
learn,"  said  the  Doctor  quietly.  "  Kindness  and 
sympathy,  and  rare  understanding.  I  shall  always 
look  back  with  pleasure  to  these  quiet  weeks  spent 
under  your  father's  roof.  They  have  given  me  the 
only  chance  I  have  had  in  years  for  undisturbed 
writing  on  the  History  that  will  stand  for  my  life 

134 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

work.  I  must  confess  that  I  dread  my  return  home. 
The  noise  and  confusion,  the  constant  invasion 
of  my  privacy,  the  demands  upon  my  time,  appal 
me.  Very  few  realize  the  magnitude  of  my  work, 
and  the  necessity  it  lays  upon  me  for  isolating  my 
self.  You  have  been  singularly  sympathetic  and 
helpful  in  that  respect." 

"  But  think  what  your  being  here  has  meant  to 
me!  You  came  into  my  life  just  when  everything 
else  seemed  to  drop  out.  You  explained  things  to 
me,  and  gave  me  something  to  do.  You  can't  be 
gin  to  know  how  you  have  helped  me." 

"  I  have  only  tried  to  direct  and  suggest,"  the 
Doctor  said ;  "  in  short  to  take  the  place  — " 

"  Of  a  father,"  finished  Miss  Lady  enthusiastic 
ally. 

The  Doctor  tapped  his  foot  impatiently.  After 
all  her  father  was  a  much  older  man  than  he :  the 
distance,  at  that  moment,  between  forty  and  sixty 
seemed  infinitely  greater  than  that  between  forty 
and  twenty. 

"  You  see,"  Miss  Lady  went  on,  unconsciously, 
"  you  have  taken  Daddy's  place  in  so  many  ways 
that  I  have  been  depending  on  you  for  everything. 
It  makes  me  awfully  lonesome  when  I  think  of  your 
leaving.  Down  here  you  have  just  belonged  to 
Miss  Wuster  and  me,  and  once  you  get  back  to 
town  you  will  be  the  famous  Doctor  Queerington 

9  135 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

again  and  belong  to  everybody.  I  shan't  dare  write 
to  you  for  fear  I  spell  a  word  wrong." 

"  Indeed,  I  shall  expect  a  weekly  letter  reporting 
the  progress  of  your  studies,  and  I  shall  come  to 
see  you  from  time  to  time  and  help  you  with  your 
plans  for  the  future." 

"  Yes,  but  it  won't  be  the  same.  We  will  sit  in 
the  parlor,  and  you  '11  be  company,  and  I  shall  be 
afraid  of  you.  I  am  always  afraid  of  you  the 
minute  I  get  out  of  your  sight." 

"  What  nonsense !  I  never  criticize  anything  but 
your  pronunciation,  and  an  occasional  exaggeration 
of  statement.  If  I  have  seemed  severe — " 

"  You  have  n't !  You  've  been  an  angel !  When 
I  think  of  all  the  time  you  have  taken  from  your 
writing  to  help  me,  I  am  ashamed  for  letting  you 
do  it." 

"  You  must  not  think,"  said  the  Doctor  slowly, 
"  that  I  have  been  wholly  disinterested.  I  have 
found  you  singularly  helpful  to  me.  I  think  I  may 
say  that  you  stimulate  me  and  refresh  me  more  than 
any  one  I  know." 

"I  do?  Oh!  Doctor!  That's  about  the  nicest 
thing  I  ever  had  said  to  me." 

He  was  not  prepared  for  the  radiant  face  of  grati 
tude  that  was  lifted  to  his,  nor  for  the  proximity  of 
her  glowing  eyes  which  gave  him  no  further  reason 
for  doubting  their  exact  hue. 

136 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  Yes/'  he  said  with  slight  embarrassment,  "  your 
mind  interests  me  exceedingly.  It  is  not  complex, 
nor  subtle,  but  remarkably  intuitive.  You  have  im 
agination  and  humor,  and  great  receptivity." 

Miss  Lady  wore  the  absorbed  look  people  usually 
wear  when  their  characteristics  are  undergoing  vivi 
section;  she  could  not  have  been  more  fascinated 
had  she  been  viewing  her  face  for  the  first  time  in 
a  mirror. 

"  This  little  volume  now,"  the  Doctor  continued, 
picking  up  an  elementary  treatise  on  evolution ;  "  I 
am  particularly  anxious  to  see  what  effect  it  will 
have  on  a  fresh,  unsophisticated  mind.  Make  notes 
as  you  read,  and  we  will  discuss  it  when  you  have 
finished." 

"  And  you  won't  forget  to  send  me  the  copy  of 
Mrs.  Browning?  " 

"  No,  I  seldom  forget.  But  I  may  not  send  it. 
Science  is  better  for  you  just  now  than  poetry. 
What  is  that  blossom  you  are  so  carefully  cherish- 
ing?  " 

Miss  Lady's  eyes  fell,  and  the  color  leapt  to  her 
face. 

"  This  ?  Just  a  wild  rose  I  found  over  there  by 
the  wall.  I  thought  they  had  stopped  blooming 
weeks  ago." 

The  Doctor  took  it  in  his  hand  and  examined  it 
minutely :  "  It  is  the  Rosa  Blanda,"  he  said,  " 

137 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

cleft  sepals  that  terminate  in  a  tube.  Pliny  tells 
us  that  in  ancient  days  the  warriors  used  the  petals 
of  this  rose  to  garnish  their  choicest  meats.  Who 
is  that  quaint  person  coming  over  the  stile?  " 

"  It 's  Miss  Ferney.  What  a  nuisance,  on  our 
last  day!  But  I  forgot,  I  asked  her  to  come.  If 
she  stays  very  long,  just  tell  a  little  fib,  won't  you, 
and  say  you  need  me  for  something?  " 

"  It  will  not  be  a  fib,"  said  the  Doctor  quietly, 
"  I  do  need  you." 

Miss  Lady  met  her  caller  at  the  front  porch  and 
relieved  her  of  the  jar  she  was  carrying. 

"  It 's  pickles,"  said  Miss  Ferney,  a  withered  little 
woman  whose  small,  nibbling  face  suggested  a  squir 
rel's.  "  I  thought  having  company  you  might  need 
'em.  Don't  know  though.  City  people  may  be  too 
aristocratic  to  eat  country  pickles." 

"The  idea,  Miss  Ferney!  Don't  you  sell  them 
in  the  city  all  the  time  ?  " 

"  Yes,  under  labels.  City  people  lay  stress  on 
labels.  When  I  was  a  child,  I  wasn't  allowed  to 
eat  things  that  was  labeled.  I  hear  he  's  going?  " 

"Who?" 

"  Your  Doctor.  Don't  see  how  you  've  ever 
stood  him  so  long." 

"  Oh !  you  don't  know  Doctor  Queerington !  It 's 
been  a  great  privilege  to  have  him  here.  He  is  a 

138 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

very  distinguished  man,  Miss  Ferney,  and  so  kind 
and  good!  " 

"  Good  or  bad,  they  are  all  the  same  to  me.  Just 
as  soon  have  a  fly  under  my  mosquito  bar  as  a  man 
buzzing  around  in  my  house.  When  's  he  going?  " 

"  To-morrow.  Will  that  be  too  soon  for  you  to 
come  over  ?  " 

"  No,  I  'm  ready  to  come.  Sis  Lizzie  will  be  sure 
to  try  some  of  those  new-fangled  receipts  and  spoil 
a  bushel  or  two  of  cucumbers,  but  I  said  I  'd  come 
and  I  will.  What  is  this  Jimpson  is  telling  me 
about  your  taking  the  examinations  for  the  county 
school?" 

Miss  Lady  sighed :  "  I  may  have  to  teach ;  I 
don't  know." 

"  Sell  off  some  more  land.  You  don't  need  a 
hundred  acres." 

"  We  Ve  sold  too  much  already !  It  will  be  the 
house  next.  I  am  determined  to  hold  on  to  Thorn- 
wood  if  the  roof  tumbles  in  on  my  head !  " 

"  I  know  how  you  feel,"  said  Miss  Ferney  whose 
sentiments  ran  to  real  estate.  "  I  've  been  saving 
every  nickel  I  made  for  nearly  twenty  years  to 
buy  back  our  place.  From  all  the  talk  we  heard 
last  spring,  Sis  Lizzie  rather  allowed  you  was  going 
to  get  married." 

"  Well,  I  am  not." 

139 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  I  am  glad  of  it.  Folks  are  keen  enough  to  be 
lieve  in  every  beau  a  girl  has  'til  she  's  thirty.  After 
that  they  don't  believe  in  any  of  them.  Sis  was 
misled  by  what  they  told  her  over  at  the  Wickers'." 

"What  did  they  tell  her?"  asked  Miss  Lady, 
training  a  rebellious  moon  vine  up  the  trellis. 

"  Oh,  they  told  her  about  that  young  city  fellow 
you  was  rampaging  all  over  the  country  with  last 
spring.  Mrs.  Wicker  said  he  had  n't  a  thought  in 
his  head  but  you.  That  he  wore  her  plumb  out  tell 
ing  her  about  you,  just  as  if  she  had  n't  help  raise 
you  on  a  bottle !  " 

Miss  Lady  still  found  the  vine  absorbing,  but  she 
took  time  to  say  over  her  shoulder: 

"Tell  your  sister  and  Mrs.  Wicker  that  that 
young  man  has  gone  to  China." 

"  Well,  nobody  could  wish  him  further !  I  hope 
he  will  stay.  You  are  too  nice  a  girl  to  get  mar 
ried.  What  do  women  want  to  marry  for  anyway  ? 
Look  at  me !  Forty  years  single  and  not  one  min 
ute  of  it  spent  in  wishing  I  was  married!  I  glory 
in  my  independence,  I  glory  in  my  freedom." 

Miss  Ferney  was  allowed  to  glory  undisturbed, 
for  Miss  Lady,  leaning  against  the  railing  of  the 
porch,  had  apparently  forgotten  her  existence. 

"  You  just  make  up  your  mind  to  take  that  school 
job,  and  lead  a  useful,  independent  life.  I  know 
a  teacher  in  Shelby  County  that 's  had  the  same 

140 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

school  for  fifteen  years,  ever  since  she  was  a  plump, 
pretty  girl,  and  she  's  thin  as  I  am  now,  and  gray 
as  a  rat.  Kept  that  same  position  and  done  well  all 
these  years." 

Miss  Lady  wheeled  suddenly  and  flung  out  her 


arms: 
it 


If  you  don't  hush  this  minute,  Miss  Ferney,  I  '11 
run  off  and  join  the  circus !  I  'd  lots  rather  stand 
on  one  toe  in  fluffy,  spangled  skirts,  and  jump 
through  a  hoop  than  teach  school ! " 

Miss  Ferney  looked  scandalized :  "  You  don't 
seem  right  well,"  she  said  as  if  in  excuse  for  such 
flippancy.  "  I  do  believe  you  've  got  a  fever.  I  'm 
going  straight  home  and  mix  you  up  a  tonic." 

Miss  Lady  sat  for  some  time  on  the  steps  with 
her  eyes  on  the  distant  river.  Up  the  hillside  the 
treetops  rippled  in  the  breeze,  and  down  in  the  valley 
the  winding  stream  danced  in  the  shallows  or 
loitered  in  brown  pools  to  whisper  secrets  to  the 
low-hanging  boughs.  The  world  seemed  to  her  not 
only  very  beautiful,  but  very  lonesome,  and  the  vow 
of  eternal  celibacy,  made  to  Uncle  Jimpson,  loomed 
large  and  terrible  in  the  presence  of  Miss  Ferney. 

"  Oh,  here  you  are,"  said  the  nurse,  coming 
around  the  house;  "  the  Doctor  has  been  refusing  to 
lie  down  until  you  come  out  to  the  garden.  He 
says  he  needs  you  for  something.  Deliver  me 
from  convalescents !  " 

141 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Miss  Lady  laughed  and  ran  down  the  path  to  the 
garden,  where  the  Doctor  greeted  her  with  his  rarest 
smile.  The  rest  of  the  morning  they  pored  over 
manuscripts,  sorting  notes,  and  making  corrections, 
she  happy  in  having  even  a  tiny  share  in  his  great 
work,  and  he  finding  her  enthusiasm  and  interest  a 
welcome  condiment  to  stir  his  jaded  appetite  for  his 
task.  Meanwhile,  a  bedraggled  little  rose  lan 
guished  unnoticed  beneath  the  manuscript  of  "  The 
History  of  Norman  Influence  on  English  Language 
and  Literature." 


142 


CHAPTER  XI 

FOR  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  days  Myrtella 
Flathers  held  undisputed  sway  in  the  house  of 
Queerington.  The  Doctor's  semi-invalidism,  after 
his  return  from  Thornwood,  threw  all  responsibility 
upon  her,  and  while  she  permitted  him  to  wear  the 
crown,  it  was  she  who  wielded  the  scepter.  Never 
had  the  house  been  in  such  immaculate  order,  nor 
the  young  Queeringtons  appeared  in  such  presenta 
ble  garments,  and  never  had  the  front  door  been 
slammed  so  persistently  in  the  face  of  unwelcome 
guests. 

For  the  Queerington  family  tree  was  afflicted 
with  too  many  branches.  There  were  little  dry 
twigs  of  maidenly  cousins,  knotted  and  dwarfed 
stumps  of  half -gone  uncles  and  aunts,  vigorous,  de 
manding  shoots  of  nephews  and  nieces,  all  of  whom 
had  hitherto  imposed  upon  the  Doctor's  slender  in 
come,  and  his  too  generous  hospitality. 

Myrtella  objected  to  the  inroads  these  invaders 
made  on  his  time  and  strength,  and  she  also  objected 
to  the  extra  work  their  presence  entailed  upon  her. 
In  short,  she  felt  that  the  family  tree  needed  prun- 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

ing,  and  she  set  herself  right  heartily  to  the  job.  By 
persistent  discourtesy  she  managed  to  lop  off  one 
relative  after  another,  until  she  gained  for  the  Doctor 
a  privacy  hitherto  undreamed  of. 

"  There  ain't  a  hour  in  the  day  that  I  ain't  headin' 
off  somebody !  "  she  triumphantly  announced  one 
day  to  the  cook  from  next  door.  "  When  I  come 
here  you  'd  'a'  thought  it  was  a  railroad  station, 
people  comin'  and  goin'  with  satchels;  and  bells  a- 
ringin',  and  trunks  being  dragged  over  the  carpets. 
Dirt  from  the  top  of  the  house  to  the  bottom;  Miss 
Hattie  with  her  petticoats  hanging  down  below  her 
dress;  and  all  the  neighbor  children  racing  in  and 
out,  and  actually  takin'  the  mattress  off  Bertie's  bed 
to  coast  down  the  stairs  on !  " 

"In  the  name  of  St.  Patrick!"  sympathized 
Norah,  the  visitor;  "and  their  pa  not  doin'  nothin' 
with  'em  at  all?" 

"Who  said  he  wasn't?"  blazed  Myrtella  in 
stantly.  "  You  '11  be  hintin'  around  next  that  I  was 
talkin'  about  the  Doctor  behind  his  back.  You  're 
fixin'  to  lose  me  my  place,  that 's  what  you  are 
doin'." 

"  Not  me!  It 's  braggin'  on  you  I  was  not  over 
a  week  ago,  sayin'  what  a  fine,  nice  cook  you  was, 
and  how  grand  and  clean  it  was  over  here." 

"  Of  course,"  said  Myrtella  haughtily,  "  I  may 
not  be  workin'  fer  a  lady  that 's  so  smart  she 

144 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

would  n't  even  know  her  own  kitchen  if  she  met 
it  walkin'  up  the  street.  I  may  not  work  in  a  house 
where  they  pull  down  the  shades  and  burn  red 
lamps  in  the  day  time  to  keep  from  showin'  the 
dirt  under  the  sofa.  We  don't  keep  two  servants 
and  not  have  enough  to  feed  'em,  but  /  'm  satisfied. 
At  least  fer  the  present.  The  day  will  come  when 
I  won't  have  to  be  in  service  to  no  one.  I  'm  puttin' 
by  each  week,  and  the  time  ain't  distant  when  I  '11 
be  settin'  at  the  head  of  my  own  boardin'-house 
table,  an'  it  will  be  *  Miss  Flathers,'  if  you  please! 
You,  Bertie!"  this  to  a  frail-looking  little  boy  in 
the  back  yard.  "  You  git  up  off  the  grass  this  min 
ute  !  Fixin'  to  catch  the  croup  and  have  me  up  with 
you  all  night,  like  I  was  last  week." 

"  Sure  'n  I  might  find  a  worse  place  than  Mrs. 
Ivy's,"  continued  Norah.  "  A  bit  of  blarney,  and 
frish  flowers  every  day  in  front  of  her  photy graph, 
and  things  right  for  Mr.  Gerald,  is  all  she  wants. 
The  last  place  I  worked, —  Mrs.  Sequin's,  bad  luck 
to  her!  ...  It  was  a  party  or  a  dinner  between 
me  and  me  rest  ivery  night  of  the  week!  Sorra  a 
bit  did  I  care  for  the  whole  kit  of  'em,  barring  Mr. 
Don  Morley,  as  fine  a  young  gentleman  as  ever  set 
foot  in  sole  leather !  " 

"  Him  that  shot  Dick  Sheeley  and  run  away?  " 
"  Him  they  laid  it  on,"  said  Norah  with  indig 
nant  emphasis.     "  It  was  that  good-for-nothin'  Mr. 

145 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Lee  Dillingham  done  it,  and  Mrs.  Sequin  a-movin' 
heaven  to  marry  Miss  Margery  off  to  him.  I  seen 
how  they  was  tryin'  to  keep  Mr.  Don  from  comin' 
home  and  hearin'  the  tales  they  was  tellin'.  He  is 
worth  the  whole  bunch  of  'em  tied  in  a  knot;  a 
gentleman  inside  and  out,  and  his  hand  in  his  pocket 
ivery  time  you  served  him.  Ain't  that  somebody 
a-callin'  ye  down  the  back  stairs?  " 

"Let  'em  call,"  said  Myrtella,  to  whom  these 
comparisons  of  past  places  were  replete  with  in 
terest.  "It's  just  Miss  Hattie;  if  she's  got  any 
thing  worth  sayin',  she  can  come  down  and  say 
it" 

It  was  evidently  worth  saying,  for  a  moment 
later,  a  thin,  sharp-featured  girl  of  fourteen  thrust 
her  head  in  at  the  door. 

"  Myrtella,  I  told  you  I  wanted  that  white  dress 
fixed.  I  am  going  to  wear  it  this  afternoon." 

"  It 's  too  early  to  wear  summer  clothes,"  Myr 
tella  announced,  continuing  her  ironing.  "  I  never 
sewed  the  buttons  on  a  purpose,  so  's  you  could  n't 
wear  it." 

"  Well  I  will  wear  it !  I  am  going  right  straight 
up  stairs  and  pin  it  on." 

As  the  door  slammed,  Myrtella  turned  a  beaming 
face  on  Norah : 

"  It  ain't  hemmed !  "  she  said  with  satisfaction. 

Norah  shrugged  her  shoulders: 
146 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  It  would  be  a  cold  day  that  'd  see  anybody 
makin'  me  do  the  cookin'  and  nursin',  and  sewin' 
for  a  family  of  four,  for  five  dollars  a  week!  " 

Myrtella  glared  at  her  across  the  ironing  board : 

"  Who  said  anybody  was  makin'  me  ?  I  'm  paid 
to  do  the  cookin'  and  housework  in  this  house,  and 
if  I  see  fit  to  light  in  and  boss  things  'round  a  bit, 
it 's  my  own  business.  Thank  the  Lord,  I  got  man 
ners  enough  to  attend  to  it !  How  much  coffee  did 
you  come  over  here  to  borrow  ?  " 

"  A  cupful  will  do,  'til  the  morning.  I  '11  bring 
it  back  before  breakfast." 

"  Put  it  in  this  jar  when  you  do.  I  keep  what 
you  pay  back  separate  from  ours,  so  's  I  can  lend 
it  to  you  again.  We  ain't  used  to  chicory." 

Norah  coughed  deprecatingly  behind  her  hand : 

"  Sure  you  might  make  allowance  fer  a  lady  as 
busy  as  Mrs.  Ivy.  She  can't  get  her  mind  down 
to  ordn'ary  things." 

"  Stop  her  settin'  on  club  boards,  and  meetin' 
on  committees,  and  tryin'  to  regulate  the  nation, 
and  she  might  remember  to  order  the  groceries. 
What 's  she  workin'  on  now  ?  " 

"  A  begger  man.  It  was  readin'  Scriptures  to  him 
she  was  when  I  come  away,  and  him  a-settin'  there, 
right  pitiful,  a-tellin'  her  how  he  'd  lost  all  he  had 
in  the  flood.  A  religious  talkin'  man  if  I  ever  heard 


one." 


147 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"Red-headed?"  inquired  Myrtella,  arresting  a 
hot  iron  in  mid  air. 

"  He  was." 

"  When  she  gits  done  with  him,  you  send  him 
over  here,"  Myrtella  brought  the  iron  down  on  the 
board  with  a  thud.  "If  there  is  one  person  in  the 
world  I  'm  lay  in'  for  it 's  a  red-headed  flood-suf 
ferer." 

Norah  on  her  way  out  encountered  another  visi 
tor  and  turned  back  to  announce  him: 

"  Git  on  to  what  Bertie  has  drawed  out  here ! 
The  craziest,  dirtiest  kid!  Puts  me  in  mind  of  a 
egg  on  a  couple  of  toothpicks!" 

Myrtella,  peering  over  her  shoulder,  suddenly 
scrambled  down  the  steps. 

"  It 's  Chick !  "  she  cried,  beaming  upon  him. 
"  How  long  you  been  here,  Chick  ?  " 

"  And  who  's  Chick  ?  "  asked  Norah,  instantly  cu 
rious.  "You  seem  to  set  a  great  store  by  him! 
What  ails  the  child  ?  What 's  he  pointin'  at  our 
house  for?  Ain't  he  got  a  tongue  in  his  head?  " 

"  He  has,  though  not  so  long  as  some  folks. 
Chick !  Bertie !  Come  in  here ! "  and  without 
ceremony  Myrtella  swept  them  into  the  kitchen  and 
slammed  the  door  in  Norah's  face. 

Once  within  her  stronghold,  she  first  embraced 
Chick,  then  dragged  him  forcibly  to  the  sink,  and 
subjected  him  to  a  vigorous  scrubbing.  Both  ac- 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

tions  apparently  bored  him  acutely,  for  he  turned 
his  soap-dimmed  eyes  enviously  upon  the  smaller 
boy  who  pranced  about  in  transports  of  joy. 

"  We  '11  skate  on  the  pavement !  "  Bertie  was  cry 
ing  excitedly.  "  You  can  have  one  skate,  and  I  '11 
have  the  other  and  we  '11  see  who  can  beat." 

"  You  won't  do  nothin'  of  the  kind!  "  quoth  Fate 
at  the  faucet  "  I  ain't  goin'  to  have  you  racin' 
'round  and  gettin'  het  up  and  takin'  cold.  Besides, 
you  ain't  big  enough  to  keep  up  with  Chick !  "  Then 
seeing  the  disappointment  her  ultimatum  had 
caused,  she  added,  "  if  it  was  n't  for  you  stickin' 
every  thing  up,  I  might  make  you  some  candy." 

"Oh,  'Telia!  will  you?  'Lasses  candy?  Ask 
him  if  he  likes  'lasses  candy." 

Violent  nods  of  affirmation  from  the  steam-en 
veloped  victim. 

Myrtella  had  started  with  the  simple  ambition 
to  wash  Chick's  face,  but  the  boundary  line  had 
proved  troublesome.  Whether  she  sharply  de 
fined  it,  or  attempted  artistic  effects  in  chiaroscuro 
the  result  was  equally  unsatisfactory.  Myrtella  was 
nothing  if  not  thorough;  before  she  finished  with 
Chick,  he  was  standing  with  his  feet  in  a  bucket, 
as  clean  and  wet  and  naked  as  a  fish. 

All  this  consumed  time,  and  both  boys  were  grow 
ing  impatient,  when  a  peculiar  noise  from  outside 
attracted  their  attention.  To  Chick,  only,  the  sound 

149 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

seemed  to  be  familiar,  for  he  laughed  and  wagged 
his  head  and  pointed  to  the  yard. 

"  It  sounds  like  hiccoughs !  "  said  Bertie,  his  head 
on  one  side. 

Myrtella's  mouth  closed  like  a  trap.  "  I  '11  hic 
cough  him !  "  she  breathed  mysteriously,  and  leav 
ing  the  children  to  watch  the  candy,  she  went  out 
on  the  porch  and  closed  the  door  behind  her. 

Bertie,  in  his  short  kilts,  with  his  feet  curled  up 
in  a  chair,  watched  Chick  with  absorbed  interest 
as  he  donned  his  ragged,  dirty  trousers.  A  pair 
of  purple  suspenders  that  had  once  belonged  to  Mr. 
Flathers,  excited  his  special  admiration. 

"  Say,  Chick,  have  you  got  a  partner?  " 

Chick  nodded. 

"  You  could  n't  be  partners  with  me,  too,  could 
you?" 

A  violent  shake  of  the  head. 

"  I  did  n't  think  you  could  with  two  fellows  at 
once."  Bertie  contemplated  the  boiling  candy 
thoughtfully.  "  I  could  get  lots  of  partners  if  I 
was  n't  always  sick.  If  you  ever  don't  have  the  one 
you  have  got,  could  you  take  me,  Chick?  " 

Chick  looked  him  over  critically,  stood  him  up 
and  measured  heights  and  even  felt  his  arm  for 
muscle.  Then  he  made  a  remark  that  while  lacking 
lucidity  was  nevertheless  conclusive. 

"But  I'm  going  to  get  bigger,"  urged  Bertie, 
150 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  And  I  Ve  got  a  music  box,  and  a  water  pistol,  and 
some  marbles  — " 

At  this  Chick  promptly  produced  a  handful  of 
marbles  from  his  own  pocket,  and  signified,  by  many 
whispers  and  hisses,  that  he  was  engaged  in  a  whole 
sale  and  retail  trade  along  that  line,  and  open  to 
negotiations. 

Bertie  made  a  hurried  trip  to  the  nursery  and  re 
turned  with  a  neat  blue  bag  from  which  he  poured 
treasures  of  agate  and  crystal. 

Chick  lost  all  interest  in  the  candy.  His  profes 
sional  reputation  was  at  stake.  Never  could  he  face 
the  gang  on  Billy-goat  Hill,  if  he  failed  to  fleece 
this  lamb  that  Providence  had  so  clearly  thrust  in 
his  way. 

Meanwhile  Myrtella  was  exercising  an  elder  sis 
ter's  prerogative  on  the  back  steps,  and  bestowing 
upon  her  brother  what  she  modestly  called  a  piece 
of  her  mind. 

For  Phineas,  in  one  of  his  periodical  backslid- 
ings,  had  slid  too  far.  His  ambition  to  excel  as  a  re 
generate  had  carried  him  out  of  the  quiet  pastures 
of  the  Immanuel  flock,  into  the  more  exhilarating- 
battle-field  of  the  Salvation  Army.  Lured  by  the 
prospect  of  recounting  his  experiences  on  a  street 
corner  to  the  accompaniment  of  an  accordion,  he 
had  forsaken  the  safe  shelter  of  the  Ladies'  Aid, 
and  sought  new  worlds  to  conquer.  . 

151 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

The  experiment  had  not  been  a  success.  He  was 
now,  at  the  end  of  a  year,  going  from  door  to  door, 
ragged  and  unkempt,  playing  the  small  and  uninter 
esting  role  of  flood-sufferer.  But  Phineas'  spirit 
soared  blithely  above  his  circumstances.  He  even 
encouraged  Myrtella  in  her  tirade  against  him,  spur 
ring  her  on  to  fresh  effort,  as  the  monks  of  old 
courted  flagellation. 

"  That 's  right,  Sis !  "  he  urged,  "  you  git  it  all 
out  of  your  system.  I  says  to  the  lady  next  door, 
I  says,  what  I  need  is  a  dressing  down  from  my 
good  sister.  She  '11  give  me  gussie,  says  I,  then 
she  '11  light  in  an'  help  me.  That 's  her  way,  I 
says,  there  ain't  a  more  generous  person  on  this 
terrestrial  globe.  I  'lowed  maybe  she  'd  be  moved 
to  follow  your  example,  but  she  was  n't.  She 
handed  me  out  a  line  of  Sunday  school  talk  fer 
more  'n  a  hour,  then  she  did  n't  give  me  nothin' 
but  this  here  Bible,  an'  me  a  starvin'  man !  I  Ve 
ate  a  little  of  everything  in  my  day,  but  I  'm 
skeered  to  risk  my  digestion  on  Deuteronomies  and 
Psa'ms ! " 

"  Well,  you  need  n't  come  beggin'  'round  here, 
and  trackin'  in  the  mud,"  announced  Myrtella 
firmly.  "  I  'm  done  with  you !  You  had  just  as 
good  a  chance  to  get  on  as  me.  I  never  ast  favors 
of  nobody;  I  went  to  work  an'  hustled.  What's 
more,  I  ain't  goin'  to  stop  'til  I  get  to  be  a  boardin'- 

152 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

house  keeper.  And  what  '11  you  be  ?  A  lazy, 
drunken,  good-for-nothin'  sponge/' 

Phineas,  toying  with  his  hat,  suddenly  sniffed  the 
air  and  smiled. 

"  Molasses  candy !  "  he  exclaimed  joyfully.  "  I 
could  n't  git  on  to  what  was  making  me  feel  so 
good.  Say,  Sis,  you  must  'a'  knowed  I  was  a- 
comin'." 

Myrtella  stood  in  rigid  disapproval  on  the  top 
step  and  surveyed  her  next  of  kin  with  such  chilling 
contempt  that  he  decided  to  change  his  tactics. 

"  Honest,  now,  Sis,  I  never  come  to  beg  for 
nothin'.  What  I  really  come  for  was  to  tell  you 
'bout  our  good  luck." 

This  move  was  so  adroit  that  it  caught  Myrtella 
unawares,  and  elicted  a  faint  show  of  curiosity. 

"  We  never  knowed  it  'til  last  week,"  Phineas 
proceeded  mysteriously,  "  an'  we  ain't  mentioned 
it  to  nobody  'til  we  git  a  parlor  fitted  up  an'  a  sign 
painted." 

"What  for?" 

"  Fer  see-ances !  There  's  been  a  Dago  doctor, 
calls  himself  Professor  King,  hangin'  'round  the 
Hill,  an'  the  minute  he  lays  eyes  on  Maria  Flathers 
he  seen  she  was  a  mejium.  He  give  her  four  les 
sons  fer  a  dollar,  an'  she  begin  to  hear  raps  an' 
bells  ringin'  the  fifth  settin'.  Last  night  she  begin 
to  move  the  furniture." 

153 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  She  must  'a'  been  in  a  trance !  "  exclaimed  Myr- 
tella.  "  I  been  knowin'  Maria  about  fourteen  years 
an'  I  never  heard  of  her  movin'  the  furniture.  She 
can  go  to  more  pains  to  scrub  around  a  table  leg 
than  any  one  I  ever  knowed." 

But  in  spite  of  her  scoffing,  Myrtella  was  im 
pressed.  For  many  years  she  had  considered  a  visit 
to  a  spiritualist,  or  clairvoyant,  one  of  her  wildest 
and  most  extravagant  dissipations.  The  possibility 
of  having  a  medium  in  the  family  was  a  luxury  not 
to  be  lightly  dismissed. 

"  Where  'd  you  git  the  money  fer  the  lessons?" 
she  demanded  suddenly. 

Phineas  hesitated  and  was  lost. 

'  You  spent  Chick's !  He  's  as  ragged  as  a  scare 
crow.  Looks  like  he  don't  get  enough  food  to  push 
his  ribs  out.  I  ketch  you  spendin'  the  money  I 
give  him  on  sperrits,  livin'  or  dead,  an'  I  '11  never 
give  you  another  cent !  " 

"  Now,  Sis,  hold  on !  You  did  n't  lemme  fin 
ish.  I  'm  thinkin'  some  of  running  a  undertaker's 
business,  along  in  conjunction  with  the  see-ances. 
We  could  keep  tab  on  the  customers  then,  and  build 
up  a  good  trade.  All  on  earth  we  need  is  just  a  little 
capital,  an'  we  'd  be  a  self-supportin'  couple  inside 
a  week." 

So  convincing  were  Phineas'  arguments,  that  in 
the  end  Myrtella  consented  to  act  as  dents  ex 

154 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

machina  for  the  new  psychical  venture,  on  condi 
tion  that  Chick  should  be  properly  clothed,  and  fed, 
and  made  to  go  to  school. 

This  agreement  having  been  arrived  at,  Myrtella 
reached  for  her  broom,  and  began  such  a  vigorous 
attack  on  the  steps,  that  Flathers  was  forced  to 
conclude  that  his  presence  could  be  cheerfully  dis 
pensed  with.  He  gathered  himself  up,  slapped  his 
hat  on  the  side  of  his  head,  tucked  his  Bible  under 
his  arm,  and  made  a  sweeping  bow. 

"  Fare  thee  well,  my  own  true  love.  Bring  the 
money  Saturday  night,  an'  Maria  '11  wind  up  the 
sperrits  an'  let  'em  manifest  fer  you,  free  of  charge. 
Sorry  I  can't  wait  fer  that  molasses  candy  to  git 
done.  You  might  send  me  some  by  Chick. 
Adiew !  " 

Myrtella  stood,  broom  in  hand,  and  watched  the 
loose-jointed  figure  slouch  down  the  pavement  and 
out  the  back  gate.  He  was  cheerfully  whistling  the 
doxology,  and  his  face  wore  the  rapt  expression 
of  one  whose  thoughts  are  not  on  earthly  things. 
She  sighed  and  shook  her  head. 

"  Front  door  bell 's  ringing,"  called  Bertie,  "  so  's 
the  telephone,  and  Father  's  gone  out  and  says  you 
can  clean  his  study.  There  's  the  bell  again." 

"  I  expect  it 's  Mr.  Gooch  inviting  himself  to  sup 
per.  I  ain't  goin'  to  let  him  in.  Give  me  that  there 
plate  to  pour  the  candy  in." 

155 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  Look,  Telia,  what  Chick  traded  me!  " 

Myrtella  cast  a  side  glance  at  Bertie's  extended 
palm,  and  promptly  rescinded  the  deal. 

"Ain't  you  ashamed  of  yourself,  Chick  Flathers! 
Tradin'  a  little  fellow's  fine  marbles  fer  them  corn- 
man  allies?  It's  cheatin',  that's  what  it  is,  it's 
stealin' !  Ain't  you  ashamed  ?  '" 

Chick  was  ashamed  and  had  the  grace  to  show  it. 
His  contrition  would  probably  not  have  developed 
except  through  exposure,  but  standing  before  Myr- 
tella's  accusing  glance,  and  the  surprised,  hurt  look 
in  Bertie's  eyes,  his  hardened  conscience  was 
pricked,  and  his  lip  began  to  tremble. 

With  a  fierce  gesture  of  protection  Myrtella  pulled 
him  to  her: 

"  Don't,  Chick!  Don't  cry!  I  wasn't  meanin' 
to  scold  you.  You  ain't  had  a  chance  like  other 
boys.  You  never  had  no  playthings,  you  never  had 
nothin'.  You  was  a  poor  little  abandoned  child  ever 
since  you  was  born.  Oh !  God,  I  'm  a  wicked 
woman !  I  ain't  fit  to  live  on  the  earth !  " 

This  amazing  outburst  so  stunned  the  two  small 
boys,  that  they  stood  looking  at  her  in  open-eyed 
astonishment.  For  some  moments  she  swayed  to 
and  fro  with  her  apron  over  her  head,  then  sav 
agely  dried  her  eyes,  and,  bidding  them  follow  her, 
stalked  up  the  back  stairs  with  broom  and  dust 
pan. 

156 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Doctor  Queerington's  study  was  at  the  top  of 
the  house,  where  by  means  of  closing  the  doors  and 
windows,  and  stuffing  his  ears  with  cotton,  he  was 
able  to  shut  out  that  material  world  to  which  he 
preferred  to  remain  a  stranger.  The  room  was 
filled  from  floor  to  ceiling  with  books,  and  it  was 
one  of  the  crosses  of  Myrtella's  life  that  behind  the 
visible  rows  of  volumes,  stood  other  rows,  forming 
a  sort  of  submerged  library  beyond  the  reach  of  her 
cloth  and  duster. 

In  no  room  in  the  house  did  she  feel  her  impor 
tance  more  fully  than  in  this  inner  shrine.  She  had 
calculated  with  mathematical  precision  the  exact  po 
sition  of  each  of  the  Doctor's  desk  utensils,  she 
knew  the  divinity  that  hedged  about  a  manuscript, 
and  the  inviolable  nature  of  bookmarks. 

When  Bertie  began  fingering  the  inkstand,  she 
pounced  upon  him. 

"  Don't  you  dare  touch  a  thing,  either  one  of 
you!  When  the  Doctor  told  me  to  take  charge  of 
his  things,  I  took  it.  There  ain't  ever  been  a  word 
of  complaint  since  I  come  here,  and  I  ain't  goin'  to 
have  one  at  this  here  late  date.  There  's  the  Doctor 
now  comin'  up  the  steps ;  I  '11  finish  up  here  later. 
Get  away  from  there,  Chick!  " 

But  Chick  had  made  a  discovery.  On  the  Doc 
tor's  desk,  smiling  out  from  a  porcelain  frame,  he 
had  found  his  divinity !  It  was  the  beautiful  young 

'57 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

lady  who  had  once  taken  his  part  in  a  fight  with 
Skeeter  Sheeley  over  a  whip  handle;  it  was  the 
young  lady  who  always  smiled  at  him  when  she 
rode  by  Billy-goat  Hill ;  it  was  she  who  had  changed 
his  life  ambition  from  grand  larceny  to  plumbing! 
Heedless  of  warning  he  snatched  at  the  picture,  and 
as  he  did  so  it  slipped  from  his  fingers  and  the  frame 
shattered  on  the  floor. 

Doctor  Queerington,  at  the  doorway,  took  in  the 
situation  at  a  glance.  He  looked  quickly  from  Myr- 
tella's  horrified  face  to  the  cringing  figure  of  the 
strange  child,  then  he  smiled  reassuringly. 

"  There  is  no  serious  harm  done,"  he  said  in  a 
quiet,  pleasant  voice ;  "  the  frame  can  be  easily  re 
placed,  and  as  for  the  photograph  — "  he  paused 
and  smiled  again,  then  he  drew  Bertie's  hand  into 
his;  "  Myrtella,  I  shall  no  longer  have  need  of  a 
photograph  of  that  young  lady.  She  has  consented 
to  come  herself  and  take  charge  of  us  all.'* 

Myrtella  stood  as  one  petrified ;  her  massive  figure 
with  its  upraised  duster  was  silhoueted  against  the 
light,  like  a  statue  of  the  goddess  of  war.  At  last 
she  found  voice : 

"To  take  charge?"  she  gasped.  "Do  you 
mean  she  's  comin'  to  be  Mis'  Squeerington  ?  " 

"  I  do." 

"  Well,  I  give  notice,"  announced  Myrtella  with 

158 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

all  the  dignity  of  offended  majesty,  and  shoving 
Chick  before  her,  she  slammed  the  door  upon  the 
astonished  Doctor  and  stalked  haughtily  down  the 
stairs. 


159 


CHAPTER  XII 

A  BRIDE  who  does  n't  see  her  duty,  should  be 
made  to  see  it,"  declared  Mrs.  Sequin  to  Mrs. 
Ivy  in  her  most  impressive  manner.  "  Something 
is  naturally  expected  of  the  wife  of  John  Jay  Queer- 
ington.  I  told  her  expressly  that  Friday  was  her 
day,  I  even  telephoned  to  remind  her,  and  here  it 
is  four  o'clock,  and  people  beginning  to  come,  and 
she  off  playing  tennis !  " 

They  were  waiting  in  the  twilight  of  the  Queer- 
ington  parlor,  that  plain,  stiff,  old  maid  of  a  parlor 
that  had  sprung  completely  furnished  from  the 
brain  of  a  decorator  some  two  decades  before  and 
never  blinked  an  eyelid  since.  It  was  a  room  with 
which  no  one  had  ever  taken  liberties.  Hattie  had 
once  petulantly  remarked  that  her  father  would  as 
soon  have  moved  a  tooth  from  his  lower  to  his  upper 
jaw,  as  to  have  moved  an  ornament  or  picture  from 
the  parlor  to  the  second  floor. 

Mrs.  Ivy,  the  lady  addressed,  smiled  tolerantly. 
It  was  one  of  Mrs.  Ivy's  most  irritating  character 
istics  that  she  was  always  tolerant  of  other  peo- 

160 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

pie's  annoyances.  She  was  blond  and  plump,  and 
wore  a  modified  toga  and  a  crystallized  smile. 

"  Ah !  Mrs.  Sequin,"  she  purred,  "  our  little  bride 
is  a  child  of  Nature.  Sweetness  and  light!  We 
must  not  expect  too  much  of  her  at  first.  My 
Gerald  says  she  's  like  a  wild  little  waterfall  dancing 
in  the  sun,  undammed  by  conventions.  Gerald 
phrases  things  so  perfectly." 

"  Well,  I  've  had  enough  of  trying  to  manage  a 
waterfall!"  Mrs.  Sequin  said  grimly.  "Cousin 
John  asked  me  to  take  her  in  hand,  and  I  must  say 
I  am  finding  her  difficult.  Perfectly  sweet  and  good 
natured,  you  know,  but  she  goes  right  on  her  own 
way.'  She  has  decided  that  she  likes  Connie's  friends 
better  than  the  Doctor's,  that  her  hair  does  n't  feel 
right  arranged  the  way  it  should  be,  that  she  is  n't 
going  to  wear  dresses  made  by  fashionable  dress 
makers  because  they  are  uncomfortable.  She  actu 
ally  told  me  she  liked  to  be  a  few  minutes  out  of 
style!" 

"But  isn't  she  right?"  murmured  Mrs.  Ivy, 
"  God  has  given  her  a  graceful,  symmetrical  body, 
should  n't  she  clothe  it  in  flowing  robes  that  do  not 
confine  or — " 

"  For  Heaven's  sake,  Mrs.  Ivy,  don't  you  dare 
start  her  on  dress  reform!  Her  one  chance  for 
social  success  is  her  beauty.  She  simply  terrifies 
me  the  way  she  says  right  out  the  first  thing  that 

161 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

comes  into  her  mind.  It  will  take  me  months  to 
teach  her  the  first  lesson  in  society,  that  the  most 
immodest  thing  in  the  world  is  the  naked  truth/' 

"  What  I  hope  to  rouse  in  the  dear  girl,"  said 
Mrs.  Ivy  with  a  superior  smile,  "  is  a  sense  of  re 
sponsibility  toward  her  fellowmen.  I  have  already 
proposed  her  name  for  the  Anti-Tobacco  League 
and  Miss  Snell,  our  corresponding  secretary  of  the 
Foreign  Missionary  Society,  has  promised  to  meet 
me  here  at  five.  It  is  these  young,  ardent  souls 
that  must  take  up  the  banner  of  reform  when  it 
drops  from  the  hands  of  us  veterans." 

"  Well,"  said  Mrs.  Sequin,  turning  a  handsome, 
bored  profile  to  her  companion,  "  I  shall  never  get 
over  the  absurdity  of  the  marriage !  " 

"  Ah !  "  said  Mrs.  Ivy,  laying  a  plump  white  hand 
on  Mrs.  Sequin's  arm,  "  cosmic  forces  brought  them 
together!  The  thing  we  seek  is  seeking  us.  She 
was  young,  inexperienced,  adrift  in  the  world;  he 
was  ill,  lonely,  and  with  three  motherless  children. 
She  told  me  that  through  the  past  year,  the  Doctor's 
letters  were  all  that  sustained  her." 

"  Of  course  they  did!  Cousin  John's  letters  sus 
tain  everybody.  Especially  if  you  have  n't  heard 
his  lectures.  Of  course  he  does  repeat  himself." 

"  As  for  her  youth,"  went  on  Mrs.  Ivy.  "  What 
if  she  is  a  mere  rosebud  as  yet?  She'll  unfold; 
we  '11  help  her  to  unfold,  you  and  I,  won't  we?  " 

162 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Meanwhile  the  bride  had  slipped  in  the  side  en 
trance  and  was  making  frantic  haste  in  the  room 
above  to  exchange  a  tennis  costume  for  a  new  house- 
dress. 

Connie  Queerington  was  assisting,  but  Connie's 
assistance  was  generally  a  hindrance.  She  was  an 
exceedingly  voluble,  blond  young  person,  with  blue 
eyes  that  enjoyed  nothing  more  than  their  own  re 
flection. 

"  I  '11  never  get  it  hooked  if  you  don't  hold  still," 
she  was  saying.  "  Every  time  you  laugh  you  pop 
it  open." 

"  Fifteen  —  love,  thirty  —  love,  forty  —  love, 
game !  "  rehearsed  Miss  Lady,  practising  a  newly 
acquired  serve  with  a  vigorous  stroke  of  her  racket. 
"  I  could  play  all  day  and  all  night !  Do  you  think 
I  '11  ever  get  to  be  a  good  player?  " 

"Of  course,  if  you  just  won't  get  so  excited  and 
hit  the  balls  before  they  bounce.  Gerald  Ivy  says 
your  overhand  play  is  great.  He  's  mad  about  you, 
anyhow.  I  'd  give  both  my  little  fingers  to  have  him 
look  at  me  as  he  did  at  you  to-day." 

"  Silly !  "  laughed  Miss  Lady.  "  There  goes  the 
button  off  my  slipper.  Do  you  suppose  any  one 
will  notice  if  I  pin  the  strap?  " 

"  Nobody  but  Myrtella.  Sit  on  your  foot  if  she 
comes  around.  If  you  don't  hurry  Cousin  Kath- 
erine  will  have  nervous  prostration." 

163 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  I  don't  see  why  you  have  to  treat  reception  day 
like  judgment  day,"  complained  Miss  Lady.  "  Who 
else  is  down  stairs  ?  " 

"  Only  Mrs.  Ivy  now.  She  is  the  one  who  held 
your  hand  and  called  you  a  sunbeam.  Gerald's 
mother,  you  know.  Hat  can't  abide  her ;  says  she  's 
a  pussy-cat.  Of  course  Mr.  Gooch  will  be  here  for 
supper." 

"Who?" 

"  Mr.  Gooch." 

"A  friend  of  the  Doctor's?" 

"  No,  indeed.  He  is  n't  anybody's  friend.  He 
bores  us  all  to  extinction." 

"  Well,  what 's  he  coming  for  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  He  always  comes  on  Friday. 
He  came  in  here  once  to  get  out  of  the  rain,  and 
Mother  asked  him  to  stay  to  tea.  That  was  ten 
years  ago  and  he  has  been  back  nearly  every  Friday 
since." 

"Do  you  have  company  like  this  all  the  time?" 
asked  Miss  Lady  somewhat  breathlessly. 

"This  is  nothing!"  exclaimed  Connie  dramati 
cally.  "  Before  Myrtella  came  I  never  knew  what 
it  was  to  sleep  in  my  own  bed,  and  I  had  to  eat  the 
legs  of  chickens  until  I  felt  like  a  centipede.  There ! 
You  are  all  right ;  come  along.  Don't  forget  to  tell 
Father  about  the  party!  " 

Miss  Lady  had  been  married  two  weeks,  but  she 
164 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

was  still  circling  wildly  in  a  vortex  of  new  experi 
ences  that  excited  and  bewildered  her.  Through  a 
long,  lonely  winter  she  had  fought  out  her  prob 
lems  at  the  little  country  school,  relying  implicitly 
upon  Doctor  Queerington's  friendship  and  guid 
ance.  His  weekly  letters,  couched  in  paragraphs 
of  technical  perfection,  seemed  to  her  oracles  of 
wisdom  and  beauty.  Then  the  amazing  and  unbe 
lievable  thing  had  happened !  He,  the  great  Doctor 
Queerington,  her  father's  friend,  her  friend,  the  man 
whom  she  respected  more  than  any  one  else  in  the 
world,  had  chosen  her,  a  young,  inexperienced  girl 
to  be  his  wife! 

To  one  who  was  quite  sure  that  she  was  through 
with  illusions  for  ever,  and  who  flattered  herself 
that  the  sentimental  age  was  safely  behind  her,  the 
honor  of  a  life-long  companionship  with  a  man  like 
Doctor  Queerington  was  almost  overwhelming. 
She  wanted  passionately  to  be  of  use  in  the  world, 
to  make  her  life  count  for  something.  The  oppor 
tunity  of  being  of  service  to  the  Doctor,  of  helping 
him  complete  the  great  work  that  absorbed  him, 
of  ministering  to  his  physical  needs,  and  bringing 
joy  into  his  life,  assumed  the  character  of  a  sacred 
privilege. 

If  haunting  doubts  and  vague  unsatisfied  longings 
possessed  her  at  times,  she  attributed  them  to  that 
dear  but  unreal  glamour  of  romance  that  the  Doc- 

165 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

tor  had  taught  her  must  be  expected  to  play  for  a 
while  about  the  dawn  of  youth,  but  which  fades 
away  in  the  noon  of  maturity.  And  so  not  being 
skilled  in  the  science  of  self-analysis,  she  fearlessly 
put  her  hand  into  the  Doctor's,  and  promised  to 
obey  with  a  frank  sense  of  relief  at  the  shifted  re 
sponsibility. 

The  new  life  into  which  she  entered  proved  dif 
ferent  in  every  respect  from  what  she  had  expected. 
The  Doctor's  time,  scheduled  to  the  minute,  ad 
mitted  of  no  interruptions,  however  helpful  from 
her.  In  fact,  he  seemed  to  regard  her  as  a  cher 
ished  luxury  which  he  had  no  time  to  enjoy.  The 
children  accepted  her  according  to  their  respective 
natures,  Connie  as  a  chum,  Hattie  as  an  arch  enemy, 
and  Bertie  as  an  idol. 

Hattie  was  fourteen,  and  had  solved  all  the  prob 
lems  of  the  universe.  She  firmly  upheld  Aristotle 
and  scornfully  dismissed  Plato  from  the  world  of 
philosophy.  She  disapproved  of  boys,  of  society, 
of  second  marriages,  and  she  had  four  desperately 
intimate  friends,  all  of  whom  were  going  to  be 
authoresses.  According  to  her  observations  she  was 
the  one  person  in  the  universe,  excepting  her  father, 
who  adhered  to  the  truth.  Hence  her  mission  in 
life  was  to  struggle  single-handed  against  other  peo 
ple's  inaccuracies. 

Miss  Lady  found  refuge  from  Hattie's  caustic 
1 66 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

comments  in  Bertie's  immediate  devotion.  He  had 
won  her  heart  on  the  night  of  her  arrival,  when  he 
had  gone  to  sleep  in  her  lap  with  a  last  injunction, 
that  she  "  must  stay  with  them  always,  until  God 
sent  for  her." 

Whatever  ideas  Miss  Lady  had  cherished  of  tak 
ing  charge  of  the  domestic  affairs  were  promptly 
discouraged  by  Myrtella,  who  had  graciously  con 
sented  to  give  the  new  mistress  a  month's  trial, 
threatening  that  at  the  first  interference  she  would 
abandon  her  to  her  fate. 

Their  first  meeting  was  auspicious.  Myrtella  on 
returning  from  her  afternoon  out,  had  heard  a  wild 
commotion  in  the  nursery  and  hastened  up  to  investi 
gate.  Bertie's  introduction  was  breathless : 

"  It 's  the  new  mother,  'Telia,  and  Chick  's  here, 
and  we  are  playing  bear,  and  we  've  broken  the 
bed-springs,  and  she  knows  heaps  and  heaps  of 
stories,  and  she  knows  Chick !  " 

Myrtella,  who  had  steeled  herself  for  mortal  com 
bat,  was  not  prepared  for  a  foe  who  sat  in  the  mid 
dle  of  the  nursery  bed,  laughing  behind  a  tumbled 
shock  of  shining  brown  hair. 

"  Oh!  this  is  Myrtella,  is  n't  it?  "  asked  the  bear, 
shaking  back  her  mane  and  smiling  with  engaging 
frankness.  "  Bertie  says  you  are  Chick's  aunt, 
and  Chick 's  an  old  friend  of  mine,  is  n't  it 
funny  ?  " 

167 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  Where  'd  you  ever  know  Chick?"  demanded 
Myrtella  with  instant  suspicion. 

"  We  both  live  on  Billy-goat  Hill.  We  always 
wave  to  each  other  when  I  pass  by,  don't  we, 
Chick?" 

Chick,  who  was  partially  under  the  bed,  still  in 
his  character  of  intrepid  hunter,  acknowledged  the 
fact  with  such  a  torrent  of  enthusiastic  incoherence 
that  Myrtella  interrupted  sternly: 

"  Come  out  here  this  minute.  It 's  time  for  you 
to  be  going  on  home  anyhow.  First  thing  I  know 
I  '11  be  getting  complained  at  for  having  you  hang 
ing  around  so  much.  And  look  at  your  hands, 
Bertie  Queerington !  You  are  going  to  get  put  in 
the  bath-tub  right  off,  that 's  what  you  are  going 
to  get!" 

"  I  '11  bathe  him,"  said  Miss  Lady  eagerly. 

"  No,"  said  Myrtella  firmly,  "  there  can't  nobody 
but  me  manage  him." 

But  in  spite  of  the  ferocity  of  Myrtella's  aspect, 
there  was  a  softened  gleam  in  her  eye  that  showed 
that  the  new  mistress  had  begun  by  giving  satisfac 
tion. 

The  first  few  days  after  her  arrival,  Miss  Lady 
spent  in  the  dim  parlor  receiving  callers.  All  the 
Doctor's  relatives  having  survived  their  spasms  of 
indignation  over  his  marriage,  united  in  a  prompt 
determination  to  train  up  his  young  wife  in  the  way 

1 68  ' 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

she  should  go.  Advice  as  various  as  it  was  pro 
fuse,  was  showered  upon  her.  At  first  she  was 
amused;  then  she  was  inexpressibly  bored;  at  last 
she  was  desperate.  She  was  not  used  to  being  in 
doors  all  day,  she  was  not  used  to  spending  her 
time  with  elderly  ladies  who  talked  of  moral  obliga 
tions,  and  social  demands,  and  civic  consciences. 
The  duties  of  her  married  life  which  had  promised 
such  interesting  responsibilities,  and  wonderful  op 
portunities  for  aiding  the  Doctor  in  his  great  work, 
seemed  to  be  shrinking  into  the  dull  task  of  keeping 
herself  and  the  children  out  of  his  way,  preserving 
a  tomb-like  silence  in  the  house,  and  entertaining  an 
endless  round  of  callers. 

Even  this  would  have  been  bearable  if  the  Doc 
tor  could  only  have  taken  time  from  his  soul-ab 
sorbing  work  to  listen  at  the  end  of  the  day,  with 
amused  tenderness,  to  all  her  little  experiences,  if 
he  had  discussed  with  her  the  best  way  of  handling 
the  children,  laughed  with  her  over  her  struggles 
with  Myrtella,  and  encouraged  those  affectionate 
words  and  caresses  that  were  so  much  a  part  of  her 
nature. 

If  he  could  have  done  this,  Miss  Lady  would  have 
soon  found  satisfaction  in  lavishing  her  affection 
upon  him.  It  was  her  bent  to  be  passionately  at 
tached  to  those  about  her,  and  she  was  not  one  to 
stand  still  in  a  mental  or  emotional  imprisonment. 

169 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

But  the  Doctor  was  struggling  through  the  most 
nerve-wrecking  month  of  the  year  at  the  university. 
The  beginning  of  a  new  term,  the  adjustment  of 
classes,  the  enrolment  of  new  pupils,  all  made  a 
heavy  drain  on  his  weakened  constitution.  He  was 
in  no  condition  in  the  evenings  to  give  out  anything 
more,  even  to  a  young  and  devoted  bride  who  was 
quite  ready  to  relinquish  any  other  pleasure  to  burn 
incense  at  the  shrine  of  his  learning. 

The  homesickness  that  had  hung  over  her  since 
the  day  she  had  turned  her  back  on  Thornwood 
would  have  enveloped  her  completely  had  it  not 
been  for  Connie.  Connie  was  but  a  year  her  junior, 
and  was  thoroughly  disapproved  by  the  family  con 
nection.  She  enjoyed  the  reputation  of  being 
frivolous  and  vain,  and  wholly  lacking  in  reverence 
to  her  elders. 

Connie's  friends  and  amusements  proved  the  line 
of  least  resistance  along  which  Miss  Lady  raced 
to  freedom.  The  tennis  court  served  as  a  joyful 
substitute  for  the  drab  dreariness  of  the  new  home, 
and  the  free  and  easy  companionship  of  Connie's 
friends  a  happy  relief  from  the  elderly  feminines 
that  invaded  it. 

The  Doctor  was  still  the  majestic  pivot,  round 
which  her  thoughts  swung,  but  the  circle  was  grow 
ing  wider  and  wider.  The  difference  in  their  ages, 
which  at  first  to  her  inexperience  had  seemed  such 

170 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

a  trifling  consideration,  proved  more  serious  as  time 
went  on. 

She  was  eager  for  life,  keen  for  pleasure,  plastic, 
susceptible.  Each  new  experience  was  to  her  an 
epoch,  while  to  the  Doctor,  whose  habits  and  opin 
ions  were  fixed  for  eternity,  it  was  usually  but  a 
fresh  interruption  to  his  work. 

It  was  not  that  he  failed  to  appreciate  her.  The 
light  that  came  into  his  serious  eyes  whenever  she 
was  near,  the  unfailing  courtesy  and  gentleness 
with  which  he  spoke  to  her,  the  absolute  freedom 
he  allowed  her,  and  the  flattering  appeal  he  made 
to  her  intellect,  calmed  whatever  doubts  might  have 
risen  in  her  mind. 

Of  her  own  feelings  she  dared  not  stop  to  think. 
Life  was  all  so  strange,  so  different  from  what 
she  had  expected.  The  flashes  of  doubt  and  per 
plexity  that  came  in  the  pauses  between  Connie's 
closely  planned  festivities,  she  attributed  to  home 
sickness. 

It  was  late  when  her  last  caller  departed,  and  as 
she  ran  lightly  up  to  the  Doctor's  study,  she  realized 
with  a  little  sense  of  disappointment  that  she  had 
not  seen  him  since  breakfast.  Even  now  she  paused 
at  the  door,  for  fear  she  would  interrupt  some  flight 
of  the  muse.  But  on  peeping  in  she  found  his  big 
armchair  drawn  up  to  the  window,  and  the  top  of  a 
head  appearing  above  its  back.  Tiptoeing  cautiously 

171 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

forward  she  clapped  her  hands  over  his  eyes  and 
dropped  a  kiss  on  his  upturned  forehead. 

In  an  instant  a  strange,  belligerent  little  gentle 
man  had  sprung  to  his  feet  and  was  confronting 
her  with  features  that  resembled  those  of  a  magni 
fied  and  outraged  bumblebee. 

"  I  am  so  sorry !  "  stammered  Miss  Lady  in  laugh 
ing  chagrin,  "  I  —  I  thought  you  were  the  Doctor!  " 

"  Even  so,"  admitted  the  stranger  rather  firmly, 
standing  with  chin  lifted  and  nostrils  dilated,  "  even 
so.  You  seem  to  have  forgotten  the  fact  that  Doc 
tor  Queerington  is  now  a  benedict ! " 

"  Yes,  but  you  don't  understand.     "  I  am  — " 

"  A  friend  of  Constance'  no  doubt.  But  under 
the  circumstances  you  will  permit  me  to  say  that 
such  conduct  is  illadvised.  I  should  not  mention  it 
were  I  not  a  friend  of  the  family  — " 

"Oh!     You  are  Mr.  Gooch?" 

"  I  am.  And  I  have  the  pleasure  of  address 
ing—" 

"  Why,  I  'm  Mrs.  Queerington,"  said  Miss  Lady, 
blushing  furiously. 

Mr.  Gooch  sank  back  into  the  chair  and  looked 
at  her  indignantly. 

"  Impossible !  "  he  exploded.  "  They  did  not  tell 
me  —  in  fact  I  was  not  prepared —  May  I  ask 
you  not  to  mention  my  mistake  to  the  girls?  Con 
stance,  as  you  doubtless  have  discovered,  is  very 

172 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

silly,  given  to  making  great  capital  out  of  nothing. 
We  will  not  mention  it." 

"  Ah!  "  said  the  Doctor  in  the  doorway  with  his 
arms  full  of  books.  "  How  are  you,  my  dear  ? 
How  are  you,  Mr.  Gooch  ?  What  is  this  conspiracy 
of  silence?" 

"  It  is  only  against  the  girls,"  laughed  Miss  Lady. 
"  We  '11  take  him  in,  won't  we,  Mr.  Gooch  ?  " 

The  Doctor  listened  with  tolerant  amusement  as 
Miss  Lady  gave  a  dramatic  account  of  the.  double 
mistake,  but  Mr.  Gooch  failed  to  smile. 

All  through  supper  that  evening  Miss  Lady  tried 
in  vain  to  propitiate  the  guest.  His  manner  showed 
only  too  plainly  that  he  regarded  her  as  an  intrusion 
in  the  family  which  he  had  seen  fit  to  adopt.  It 
was  not  until  the  pudding  arrived  that  his  mood 
rnellowed.  Myrtella's  cooking  was  so  eminently  to 
his  taste  that  he  was  willing  to  put  up  with  a  great 
deal  for  the  privilege  of  enjoying  it.  Moreover, 
laughter  always  improved  his  digestion  and  the 
young  person  at  the  head  of  the  table  was  proving 
amusing. 

"  Mr.  Gooch  is  waiting  for  more  coffee,"  an 
nounced  Hattie,  interrupting  an  animated  account 
Miss  Lady  was  giving  of  her  first  day  at  the  country 
school. 

"  Let  her  finish  the  story,"  said  the  Doctor  to 
whom  food  was  immaterial.  He  was  indulging  in 

173 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

the  unusual  luxury  of  loitering  at  the  table  after  the 
meal  was  finished,  a  habit  seldom  tolerated  in  the 
Queerington  household. 

"  But  there  is  n't  time,"  insisted  Hattie.  "  Con 
nie  is  having  a  party  to-night." 

"A  party?"     The  Doctor's  brows  lifted. 

"  Yes,"  broke  in  Connie.  "  Miss  Lady  said  she 
did  n't  think  you  'd  mind,  and  she  persuaded  Myr- 
tella  to  let  us  dance  in  here.  You  won't  mind  the 
noise,  just  this  one  night,  will  you,  Father?  " 

The  Doctor  considered  the  matter  gravely.  After 
all,  his  reading  would  be  interrupted  by  Mr.  Gooch, 
so  he  might  as  well  assent.  He  seldom  objected 
to  any  plan  that  did  not  interfere  with  his  own  ac 
tions.  His  absorption  in  the  race  precluded  an  in 
terest  in  mere  family  matters. 

"  They  are  not  pressing  you  into  service,  I  hope  ?  " 
he  asked,  glancing  at  Miss  Lady. 

"  Indeed  we  are !  "  cried  Connie.  "  She  's  go 
ing  to  play  for  us  to  dance,  when  she  is  n't  dancing 
herself.  Of  course  we  want  her  with  us." 

"  You  forget,  Constance,  that  there  are  other 
claims  upon  her.  Mr.  Gooch  and  I  would  like  to 
have  her  with  us  in  the  study." 

Miss  Lady  looked  up  in  pleased  surprise. 

"That  settles  it,  Connie,"  she  said;  "you  girls 
can  play  for  yourselves.  Come  on  and  go  to  bed, 

174 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Kiddie,"  and  with  Bertie  at  her  heels,  the  new  mis 
tress  of  Queerington  raced  down  the  hall. 

For  ten  years  Doctor  Queerington  and  Mr.  Gooch 
had  played  pinochle  every  Friday  evening.  The 
Doctor  did  not  especially  enjoy  it,  except  as  one  of 
those  incidents  that  grows  acceptable  by  long  repeti 
tion.  He  was  a  born  routinist,  regarding  a  well- 
regulated  world  as  a  place  where  everything  ran -in 
the  same  grooves  to  eternity.  One  of  his  chief 
sources  of  satisfaction  in  regard  to  his  seccmd  mar 
riage  was  that  it  promised  not  to  interfere  with 
those  established  laws  which  regulated  his  day, 
from  the  prompt  breakfast  at  7 115  to  the  long  hours 
with  his  books  in  the  evening.  In  short,  Doctor 
Queerington  was  a  sort  of  well-regulated  human 
clock,  announcing  his  opinions  as  irrevocably  as  the 
striker  announces  the  hours,  and  ticking  along  so 
monotonously  between  times  that  one  almost  for 
got  he  was  there. 

If  the  Friday  evening  game  was  to  him  merely  a 
habit,  to  Mr.  Gooch  it  was  an  occasion.  Having 
once  seated  himself,  and  glanced  around  to  make 
sure  his  hand  was  not  reflected  in  a  mirror,  he 
spread  his  cards  gingerly  in  his  palm  with  only 
the  corners  visible,  squared  his  jaw  and  proceeded 
with  solemnity  to  observe  the  full  rigor  of  the  game. 
There  was  no  trifling  with  points,  or  replaying  of 

175 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

tricks.  The  marriage  of  kings  and  queens  was 
solemnized  without  rejoicing,  and  even  the  parade 
of  a  royal  sequence  brought  no  flush  of  triumph 
to  his  cheek,  but  moved  him  only  to  chronicle  it  in 
small,  precise  figures  in  a  red  morocco  note-book 
which  he  always  brought  with  him  for  the  purpose. 

When  Miss  Lady  came  up  to  the  study,  after 
giving  Bertie  two  encores  to  "  Jack  the  Giant  Kil 
ler,"  she  found  the  men  silently  absorbed  in  their 
game.  Sitting  on  a  hassock  at  the  Doctor's  side, 
she  tried  to  follow  the  detailed  explanation  that  he 
gave  during  each  deal.  But  the  jargon  of  "  declara 
tions,"  and  "  sequences,"  and  "  common  marriages  " 
soon  grew  wearisome,  and  she  found  herself  idly 
studying  the  Doctor's  fine,  serious  face,  and  listen 
ing  for  his  low,  flexible  voice  which  unconsciously 
softened  when  he  spoke  to  her. 

In  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  study  was  very  warm 
these  sultry  September  evenings,  and  the  Doctor's 
mental  strides  much  too  long  for  her  to  keep  pace, 
she  nevertheless  looked  eagerly  forward  to  the  hours 
spent  there.  If  at  times  she  failed  to  follow  his 
elucidations,  or  grew  sleepy  reading  aloud  from 
some  well-thumbed  classic,  it  was  not  because  her 
admiration  and  respect  for  her  husband  were  les 
sening.  In  fact,  he  was  always  at  his  best  at  this 
time,  surrounded  by  the  books  he  knew  and  loved, 
and  expanding  under  the  approbation  of  his  one 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

appreciative  listener.  Here  he  reigned,  a  feudal 
lord,  safe  guarded  in  his  castle  of  books  against  that 
strange  and  formidable  enemy,  the  World. 

"  Four  aces,  and  pinocle,"  announced  Mr.  Gooch 
with  grim  satisfaction. 

Miss  Lady  rose  restlessly  and  went  to  the  window 
in  the  alcove.  From  the  parlor  below  came  the 
strains  of  a  waltz  and  snatches  of  laughter;  over 
head  the  stars  loomed  big  and  white  in  the  summer 
night.  She  thought  how  strange  and  lonesome  it 
must  be  out  at  Thornwood  with  the  lights  all  out 
and  the  windows  nailed  up.  The  little  night  things 
were  singing  in  the  garden  by  this  time,  and  the  cool 
breezes  were  beginning  to  stir  the  treetops.  She 
wondered  how  Mike  was  getting  along  without  her, 
and  a  lump  rose  in  her  throat.  She  swallowed 
resolutely,  and  smiled  confidently  up  at  the  stars. 
Her  married  life  was  not  in  the  least  what  she  had 
expected,  but  it  would  all  work  out  for  the  best. 
To  be  sure,  nobody  seemed  to  need  her,  nothing  was 
required  of  her,  but  she  would  make  a  place  for 
herself,  she  must  make  a  place  for  herself.  Per 
haps  if  she  had  something  to  do  besides  playing  with 
Connie  and  her  friends  all  day,  she  would  get  over 
this  feeling  of  uselessness,  and  this  haunting  home 
sickness  for  the  hills  and  valleys,  for  her  horses  and 
dogs,  and  the  old  brick  house  among  the  trees. 

Suddenly  she  caught  her  breath  and  listened: 
177 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  He  's  coming  home,"  Mr.  Gooch  was  saying  in 
the  room  behind  her.  "  At  least,  they  've  sent  for 
him.  Young  Decker,  who  has  just  gotten  back, 
says  Morley  will  come  on  a  stretcher  rather  than 
have  people  believe  that  he  shot  a  man,  then  ran 
away.  They  had  never  heard  a  word  of  the  indict 
ment." 

"  As  I  expected,"  the  Doctor  said,  shuffling  the 
cards.  "When  does  he  return?" 

"  When  he  's  able  to  travel,  I  suppose.  Decker 
left  him  down  with  a  fever  in  a  hospital  in  Singa 
pore.  He  's  done  for  himself,  I  am  afraid." 

"  Very  probably,"  said  the  Doctor.  "  Poor  Don 
ald  !  It 's  your  lead." 

Miss  Lady  slipped  behind  the  curtain,  and  steadied 
herself  by  the  window  sill.  Why  had  her  heart 
almost  stopped  beating?  Why  was  it  beating  now 
as  if  it  would  strangle  her?  Why  did  the  thought 
of  Donald  Morley  lying  ill  and  friendless  in  a  for 
eign  hospital  rouse  every  desire  in  her  to  go  to  him 
at  once  at  any  cost  ?  Waves  of  surprise  and  shame 
surged  over  her.  She  heard  nothing,  saw  nothing, 
save  the  fact  that  something  she  thought  was  dead 
had  come  to  life.  She  was  wakening  from  a  long 
numb  sleep,  and  the  wakening  was  terrifying. 
What  irremediable  catastrophe  had  happened  be 
tween  now  and  that  supreme  moment  when  she  had 
stood  under  the  lilacs  in  the  twilight  with  Donald 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Morley's  arms  about  her,  his  breath  on  her  cheek, 
and  his  passionate  plea:  "Oh,  if  you  only  knew 
how  I  need  you !  I  '11  be  anything  under  heaven  for 
your  sake  if  you  '11  only  stand  by  me !  " 

"  My  game,"  said  the  Doctor.  "  Fortune  has 
favored  me.  What  became  of  Miss  Lady?  The 
call  of  the  young  people  down-stairs  grew  too  strong, 
I  presume." 

Mr.  Gooch,  in  a  very  bad  humor  over  the  loss  of 
the  last  game,  sullenly  packed  his  deck  of  cards  in 
the  case  with  the  red  morocco  note-book  and  made 
ready  to  take  his  departure.  The  Doctor  automat 
ically  placed  the  card  table  against  the  wall,  arranged 
the  chairs  at  their  proper  angles,  straightened  a  book 
on  his  desk,  and  turned  out  the  lights,  leaving  a  slim 
white  figure  with  trembling  hands  and  terror- 
stricken  eyes,  cowering  in  the  starlight  behind  the 
swaying  curtains. 


179 


CHAPTER  XIII 

IT  was  always  an  occasion  of  significance  when 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Basil  Sequin  found  time  in  their 
busy  lives  to  discuss  a  family  matter.  There  was  no 
particular  lack  of  interest  on  either  side,  it  was 
simply  that  their  hours  did  not  happen  to  fit.  When 
he  was  not  at  his  club,  she  was  at  hers;  when  she 
was  dining  at  home,  he  was  detained  at  a  directors' 
meeting;  when  he  went  North  to  a  Bankers'  Con 
vention,  she  went  South  to  attend  a  bridge  tourna 
ment.  So  it  was  small  wonder  the  butler,  remov 
ing  the  breakfast  things,  should  have  looked  puzzled 
when  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sequin  remained  at  table  in 
earnest  conversation. 

Mr.  Sequin  was  a  thin,  stooped  man,  prematurely 
old  at  fifty.  The  harassed,  driven  expression  that 
was  so  habitual  to  his  face  had  plowed  furrows  that 
no  lighter  mood  could  now  erase.  His  present 
mood,  however,  was  not  a  light  one.  He  sat  with 
his  hand  shading  his  eyes,  and  scowled  gloomily  at 
the  tablecloth. 

"  I  told  you  a  month  ago,"  he  was  saying,  "  that 
you  'd  have  to  cut  some  of  the  expenses  on  the  new 

1 80 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

house.  We  Ve  already  gone  twenty  thousand  over 
the  original  estimate.  There  is  n't  a  month  now 
that  our  accounts  are  not  overdrawn.  Nothing  has 
been  said  directly,  but  it  is  known  on  the  street. 
Nothing  will  be  said,  as  long  as  it  is  understood 
that  I  am  to  have  the  management  of  the  Dillingham 
estate  at  the  general's  death,  but  if  this  estrangement 
should  continue  between  Margery  and  Lee  Dilling 
ham  — " 

"Now,  Basil!"  Mrs.  Sequin  cried  dramatically, 
"  don't  for  mercy's  sake  take  a  nervous-prostration 
patient  seriously.  Margery  is  nothing  but  a  bunch  of 
notions,  and  Cropsie  Decker  has  gotten  her  all  stirred 
up  about  the  injustice  that  has  been  done  to  Don. 
I  won't  even  let  her  talk  to  me  about  it,  it 's  all  so 
silly.  What  possible  difference  can  it  make  who 
did  the  shooting?  The  boys  are  well  out  of  the 
scrape  and  it's  almost  forgotten  by  this  time. 
Young  people  who  are  engaged  have  to  have  some 
thing  to  quarrel  over;  this  won't  amount  to  a  row 
of  pins.  I  am  going  right  on  making  preparations 
for  an  early  spring  wedding.  By  the  way,  you  know 
the  bow  window  in  the  drawing-room  ?  Well,  I  am 
having  it  made  four  feet  wider  so  they  can  be  mar 
ried  there  facing  the  loggia,  like  this !  " 

Mrs.  Sequin's  two  plump  fingers  did  duty  for 
the  bride  and  groom,  but  Mr.  Sequin  was  not  inter 
ested. 

181 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  I  should  not  be  surprised  if  Decker  cabled  Don 
ald  to  come  home.  He  's  in  a  great  state  of  in 
dignation  over  the  fact  that  the  blame  was  put  on 
Don.  You  see,  it  is  all  a  fresh  issue  with  them." 

"  I  'd  be  perfectly  furious  with  Don,"  declared 
Mrs.  Sequin,  "if  he  came  back  and  got  into  a 
quarrel  with  Lee.  Margery  will  be  sure  to  take 
his  part;  she's  always  so  silly  about  Don.  If  she 
were  well  enough  I  'd  be  tempted  to  rush  the  wed 
ding  through  before  Christmas.  But  then,  we 
could  n't  have  it  in  the  new  house,  and  I  have  prac 
tically  built  that  first  floor  for  the  wedding.  Every 
thing  depends  on  our  having  it  there." 

"  Everything  depends  on  our  having  it  some 
where  !  "  said  Mr.  Sequin  grimly. 

"  Mrs.  Queerington's  cook,  madam,  wishes  to 
speak  to  you,"  announced  the  butler  at  the  pantry 
door. 

"  Tell  her  to  wait,"  said  Mrs.  Sequin  without  turn 
ing  her  head.  "  What  did  you  decide  about  the 
decorator's  estimates,  Basil  ?  " 

"  Decide  ?  What  time  have  I  to  be  considering 
decorations?  Why  can't  you  attend  to  it?  " 

"  \Vhy,  indeed  ?  I  only  have  to  attend  to  the  al 
terations  on  the  bow  window,  look  at  the  new 
sketches  for  the  garage,  have  a  shampoo  and  mas 
sage,  lunch  at  the  Welderns',  take  Fanchonette  to  the 
veterinary,  be  fitted  at  three,  and  go  to  the  Bartrums' 

182 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

at  five.  By  all  means,  I  '11  attend  to  it.  I  '11  give- the 
order  to  Lefferan;  he  handles  the  most  exclusive 
designs." 

"  That 's  what  we  want,"  said  Mr.  Sequin,  rising; 
"  the  most  exclusive  and  the  most  expensive.  Our 
credit  is  good  for  a  few  months  yet.  Have  the  small 
car  at  the  bank  at  6 130.  I  will  not  be  home  for  din 
ner." 

Mrs.  Sequin  sighed  as  he  slammed  the  front  door. 
There  was  no  use  denying  the  fact  that  men  were 
trying,  even  the  best  of  them.  Had  n't  Cousin  John 
Queerington,  that  paragon  of  perfection,  toppled  on 
his  pedestal  at  the  smile  of  an  unsophisticated  little 
country  girl?  And  there  was  Basil,  recognized  as 
a  veritable  wizard  of  finance,  waiting  until  the  new 
house  was 'almost  completed,  then  getting  panicky 
about  the  cost.  And  now  Donald,  whom  she 
thought  safely  anchored  on  the  other  side  of  the 
world,  threatening  to  come  home  at  the  most  inop 
portune  time  and  create  no  end  of  trouble ! 

"  Excuse  me,  madam,"  said  the  butler,  "  but  she 
says  she  ain't  going  to  wait  another  minute." 

"  Jenkins !  "  Mrs.  Sequin  raised  her  brows  dis 
approvingly.  "  Send  that  odious  woman  up  to  Miss 
Margery's  room ;  I  will  see  her  there." 

The  room  above  the  dining-room  was  one  of  those 
pink-and-white  jumbles  that  convention  prescribes 
for  debutantes.  Garlands  of  pink  roses  festooned 

183 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

the  paper,  tied  at  intervals  by  enormous  pink  bows. 
Pink  bows  and  ruffles  smothered  the  dresser  and 
sewing  table,  and  pink  and  white  cushions  filled  the 
window  seat.  Cotillion  favors,  old  dance  cards, 
theater  programs,  were  pinned  to  the  heavy  pink  and 
white  curtains  that  shut  out  the  sunlight.  Among 
the  lace  pillows  of  the  brass  bed  lay  a  languid,  pale- 
faced  girl,  who  stared  up  at  the  rose-entwined  ceil 
ing,  as  a  prisoner  might  stare  at  her  bars. 

"  Close  the  door,  Myrtella,"  Mrs.  Sequin  said  as 
they  entered.  "  I  am  mortally  afraid  of  drafts. 
Good  morning,  Margery.  Where  is  your  blue  hat  ? 
I  told  Miss  Lady  to  send  up  for  it,  because  I  am  go 
ing  to  take  her  to  the  Bartrums'  this  afternoon  and 
I  simply  could  not  have  her  appear  in  that  ridiculous 
little  hat  she  wears  all  the  time." 

The  girl  in  the  bed  turned  a  fretful  face  toward 
her  mother : 

"  Why,  Miss  Lady  promised  to  spend  the  after 
noon  with  me.  I  've  been  looking  forward  to  it  for 
days." 

"  Yes,  I  know,  dear,  but  I  told  her  you  were  n't 
quite  so  well,  and  that  she  could  come  to-morrow. 
You  see,  she  really  can't  afford  to  miss  the  Bar 
trums'  tea ;  it 's  the  first  entertainment  this  fall  and 
everybody  will  be  there.  I  know  you  think  Mrs. 
Bartrum  a  little  gay,  but  you  can't  deny  she  runs  that 
younger  set." 

184 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Margery  Sequin  clasped  her  thin  white  hands 
tensely,  and  resumed  her  study  of  the  vine-covered 
ceiling. 

"  Here  's  the  hat,"  said  Mrs.  Sequin,  handing  a 
large  hat  box  to  Myrtella,  then  noting  her  offended 
expression  she  added  by  way  of  propitiation :  "  I 
don't  know  how  they  would  get  along  without  you 
at  the  Doctor's.  I  hear  that  the  new  mistress 
does  n't  know  a  saucepan  from  a  skillet/' 

"  She  ain't  no  fool,"  returned  Myrtella  instantly 
on  the  defensive. 

"Of  course  not,  just  young  and  careless.  I  dare 
say  she  does  n't  even  order  the  groceries,  does  she  ?  " 

"  No,  mam/' 

"  Nor  plan  for  the  meals  ?  " 

"  No,  mam." 

"  And  you  attend  to  everything  just  as  if  she 
were  n't  there  ?  It 's  really  too  funny,  is  n't  it,  Mar 
gery  ?  Tell  Mrs.  Queerington  that  I  '11  send  the 
motor  for  her  at  five ;  and  do  see  that  she  is  properly 
hooked  up." 

Myrtella  succeeded  in  getting  herself  and  the  box 
silently  out  of  the  room,  but  the  butler  passing  her 
on  the  back  stairs  was  startled  by  a  verbal  shower 
that  was  not  in  the  least  intended  for  him.  It  was 
as  if  a  watering  cart  had  suddenly  and  unexpectedly 
turned  on  its  supply  regardless  of  its  surroundings. 

At  five  o'clock  Miss  Lady,  very  radiant  and  ap- 
185 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

parently  in  high  spirits,  presented  herself  at  the  Se 
quins'. 

"  May  I  come  in  just  for  a  minute?  "  she  asked 
at  Margery's  door.  "  I  Ve  brought  you  some  chrys 
anthemums.  Uncle  Jimpson  brought  them  in  from 
Thornwood  this  morning.  It 's  too  bad  you  are  n't 
so  well." 

Margery  turned  admiring  eyes  on  the  bright  face 
above  her. 

"  I  'm  no  worse,"  she  said,  "  just  disappointed.  I 
thought  I  was  going  to  have  you  all  to  myself  this 
afternoon." 

"  But  I  did  n't  know  you  could  have  me !  I  '11  run 
in  and  tell  your  mother." 

Mrs.  Sequin,  who  was  being  insinuated  into  a 
very  tight  gown  by  the  sheer  physical  prowess  of 
her  maid,  exclaimed  with  satisfaction  as  Miss  Lady 
entered : 

"  There,  I  knew  it !  The  hat  makes  the  costume. 
You  are  perfect !  Now,  remember  the  people  I  want 
you  to  be  especially  nice  to,  Mrs.  Gibbs,  Mrs.  March- 
mont  — " 

"  The  silly  old  woman  that  paints  her  face  and 
wears  the  pearls  like  moth  balls?  She  drove 
around  yesterday  to  tell  me  the  name  of  her  hair 
dresser.  It 's  always  the  people  that  have  n't  any 
hair  that  want  to  have  it  dressed." 

1 86 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  Miss  Lady !  She  is  Mrs.  Leslie  Marchmont,  the 
most  sought  after  woman  in  town!  " 

"  I  don't  care,  her  horses  look  as  if  they  had  been 
fed  on  corn  stalks." 

"  But  you  must  n't  say  such  things !  You  must 
cultivate  discretion.  If  you  want  me  to  introduce 
you  to  the  right  people  — " 

"  But  they  may  not  be  the  right  people  for  me ! 
Some  of  them  are  lovely,  but  I  can't  stand  the  af 
fected  ones,  nor  the  ones  that  patronize  me." 

"  But  they  \von't  patronize  you  if  you  are  a  little 
more  reserved.  There  's  no  earthly  reason  for  your 
telling  them  that  you  keep  only  one  servant,  and 
saying  that  you  come  from  Billy-goat  HilL  It 's 
a  horrid  name  given  our  beautiful  hillside,  by  horrid 
people.  You  see,  you  really  must  cultivate  more 
caution.  You  are, —  what  shall  I  say?  too  frank, 
too  natural." 

Miss  Lady  laughed.  "  I  have  n't  the  least  idea 
how  to  go  about  being  unnatural,  but,  thank  heaven, 
I  don't  have  to  learn  to-day!  Margery  is  feeling 
better  and  is  going  to  let  me  stay  with  her." 

"  That 's  absurd !  You  are  all  ready  to  go,  and 
I  want  Mrs.  Bartrum  to  see  you  for  the  first  time 
just  as  you  look  now.  Where  are  your  gloves  ?  " 

"  I  forgot  them,  but  it  does  n't  matter,  I  'm  not 
going." 

187 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  I  '11  send  Jenkins  for  them  at  once." 

Miss  Lady's  cheek  flushed  and  she  looked  at  Mrs. 
Sequin  in  perplexity,  then  her  brow  cleared. 

'  You  are  afraid  I  '11  stay  too  long  and  wear  Mar 
gery  out?  I  promise  to  go  the  minute  she  looks 
tired.  You  can  trust  her  with  me,  can't  you?  " 

"  But  she  has1  her  nurse,  there  's  no  earthly  rea 


son  — " 


"  Except  that  she  wants  me  to  stay.  You  '11  feel 
happier,  too,  knowing  that  she  is  n't  lonely." 

"  But  don't  you  want  to  go  to  the  tea  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  did  a  little.  But  I  think  that  was  because 
you  and  Connie  and  Margery  said  I  looked  nice. 
I  'm  awfully  squeezed  and  uncomfortable;  I  wonder 
if  Margery  can't  lend  me  a  dressing  sacque?  " 

Thus  it  was  that  Mrs.  Sequin  went  off  to  the  Bar- 
trums'  in  a  very  bad  humor,  leaving  the  two  girls 
chattering  together  in  the  pink  boudoir,  with  the 
nurse  banished  to  the  lower  regions. 

"  Don't  you  want  some  fresh  air  ?  "  asked  Miss 
Lady,  when  she  had  stood  the  heat  as  long  as  she 
could. 

'  You  may  open  the  door,"  said  Margery,  "  we 
never  the  leave  the  window  up  on  account  of 
drafts." 

"  But  I  can  wrap  you  up,  and  put  the  screen  up. 
There !  You  can't  take  cold  with  all  that  on.  It  's 
the  kind  of  day  that  makes  me  want  to  be  on  a  horse, 

1 88 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

galloping  through  the  woods  with  the  wind  in  my 
face." 

Margery  watched  Miss  Lady's  quick  motion  as  she 
opened  all  the  windows  behind  the  ruffled  curtains, 
and  let  in  a  current  of  fresh  invigorating  air. 

"  How  young  you  are!"  she  said.  "Years  and 
years  younger  than  I  feel.  I  can't  realize  you  are 
married  and  have  three  step-children." 

"  Neither  can  I,"  said  Miss  Lady.  "  I  'm  always 
forgetting  it.  Wouldn't  you  like  to  sit  up  for  a 
while?" 

"Oh!     I  can't.     I  have  to  lie  perfectly  quiet." 

"Who  said  so?" 

"  Everybody  does  who  has  nervous  prostration. 
The  doctors  say  that  my  nerves  are  nothing  but 
quivering  wires.  I  suppose  I  went  too  hard  last 
winter,  but  of  course  I  could  n't  drop  out  in  the 
middle  of  my  first  season." 

"  I  don't  believe  it  would  hurt  you  a  bit  to  sit  up. 
If  I  fix  that  big  rocker  will  you  try  it?  " 

"  But  I  have  n't  sat  up  for  six  weeks.  When  I 
try  it  in  bed  I  have  such  tingly  sensations." 

"  That 's  because  your  legs  are  straight  out. 
Let 's  try  it  in  the  chair,  with  them  hanging 
down." 

"  I  '11  try  it,  but  I  know  I  can't  stand  it.  There ! 
Thank  you  so  much !  You  would  n't  think  that  a 
year  ago  I  was  as  strong  as  you  are!  Why,  be- 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

tween  October  and  March  I  went  to  over  a  hun 
dred  and  fifty  entertainments,  besides  the  theaters 
and  opera." 

"  Good  heavens !  "  cried  Miss  Lady  aghast. 

"Of  course,  about  New  Year's,  I  began  to  wob 
ble,  but  mother  had  me  take  massage  and  electricity 
and  kept  me  going  until  Lent.  After  that  I  col 
lapsed  until  summer.  Then  we  went  to  White  Sul 
phur,  wrhere  the  Dillinghams  have  a  cottage,  I  had 
to  lie  down  every  afternoon,  but  I  was  always  able 
to  be  up  for  the  dances." 

The  nurse  coming  in  with  a  long  flower  box, 
paused  in  surprise  at  the  sight  of  her  patient  sitting 
up,  then  discreetly  tiptoed  out  again. 

"  Somebody  has  sent  you  some  flowers !  "  cried 
Miss  Lady  excitedly.  "  How  nice !  Shall  I  open 
the  box?" 

"  Just  as  you  like.  They  are  probably  from  Lee. 
He  sends  them  now  instead  of  coming." 

"  But  there  may  be  a  note,"  said  Miss  Lady, 
searching  in  the  tissue  paper. 

Margery  shook  her  head  wearily;  the  little  ani 
mation  that  had  flushed  her  face,  died  out  leaving 
it  wan  and  listless. 

"  I  suppose  you  think  this  is  a  queer  way  for  an 
engaged  girl  to  talk,"  she  said  presently,  with  a 
nervous  catch  in  her  voice.  "  The  truth  is  Lee  and 
I  have  quarreled  over  my  uncle,  Donald  Morley.  I 

190 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

will  never  forgive  him  for  the  way  he  has  treated 
Don ;  never !  " 

'  You  will  if  you  love  him,"  said  Miss  Lady. 

"  But  I  'm  not  sure  that  I  do !  "  burst  out  Mar 
gery.  "  I  ought  n't  to  say  it !  I  shan't  say  it  again, 
but  I  shall  die  if  I  don't  talk  to  somebody.  Mother 
won't  listen  to  a  word.  She  says  it 's  nerves.  But 
the  truth  is,  Miss  Lady,  I  Ve  never  been  sure;  that 's 
what 's  making  me  ill !  " 

"  Have  you  told  him?  " 

"  Yes,  and  he  laughs  at  me.  He  may  be  right, 
they  all  may  be  right.  When  I  get  well  I  may  laugh 
at  myself.  But  just  now  it  seems  so  terrible  for 
the  preparations  to  be  going  on  while  I  'm  lying  here, 
night  after  night,  fighting  down  the  doubts,  trying 
to  persuade  myself,  trying  to  be  sure.  How  can 
you  tell  when  you  are  in  love?  How  do  you 
know?" 

Miss  Lady's  hand  that  had  been  softly  stroking 
the  girl's  thin  white  fingers,  paused ;  her  eyes  sought 
the  open  window,  and  she  drew  a  short  breath. 

"  Know?  "  she  repeated  as  if  to  herself.  "  How 
do  you  know  when  you  are  cold,  when  you  are 
hungry,  when  you  're  tired,  when  you  're  lonesome  ? 
How  do  you  know  that  you  want  air  when  you  are 
smothering?  Everything  about  you  tells  you,  your 
heart,  your  mind,  your  body,  your  soul.  You  can't 
help  knowing!  " 

191 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  But  suppose  I  don't  feel  like  that !  And  sup 
pose  I  should,  some  day,  for  some  one  else!  Oh! 
Miss  Lady  tell  me  what  to  do!  Everybody  else  is 
rushing  me  on,  telling  me  not  to  worry,  not  to  be 
afraid.  But  you  are  not  like  the  others,  you  con 
sider  something  more  than  the  outside  advantages 
to  be  gained.  Tell  me,  what  would  you  do  in  my 
place?" 

"  I  'd  wait  for  the  real  one  to  come,"  cried  Miss 
Lady,  turning  upon  her  almost  fiercely,  "  I  'd  wait, 
if  it  was  forever!  They  have  no  right  to  persuade 
you.  You  either  love  or  you  don't  love  and  no 
power  on  earth  can  make  it  different.  You  can 
laugh  at  sentiment  and  pretend  you  don't  believe 
in  it,  you  can  tell  yourself  a  thousand  times  that 
you  are  doing  the  sensible  thing.  You  can  blind 
yourself  utterly  to  the  truth  for  a  time.  But  some 
day  you  Ve  got  to  realize  that  the  only  real  thing 
in  life  is  love,  and  that  you  are  powerless  to  make  it 
live  or  die." 

After  that  they  sat  a  long  time  in  silence,  until 
Miss  Lady  rose  abruptly  and,  making  some  excuse, 
took  a  hurried  departure.  She  was  frightened  at 
what  she  had  said,  at  what  she  had  thought.  She 
was  terrified  at  this  strange,  new  self,  that  spoke 
out  of  a  strange,  new  experience,  and  set  at  naught 
all  her  carefully  acquired  opinions.  It  was  not  until 

192 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

she  reached  home  after  a  brisk  walk  through  the 
crisp  air,  that  the  turmoil  in  her  brain  subsided. 

On  the  hall  table  beside  a  well-worn  copy  of 
Shelley,  lay  the  Doctor's  gloves  and  soft  gray  hat. 
She  seized  the  gloves  impulsively  and  laid  them 
against  her  cheek. 

"Dear,  dear  Doctor!"  she  whispered  almost 
fiercely.  "  So  good,  and  kind,  and  —  and  wonder 
ful  !  " 

Suddenly  she  was  aware  of  some  one  watching 
her  covertly  through  the  crack  of  the  dining-room 
door. 

"  Myrtella !  "  she  cried.     "  Is  that  you  ?  " 

"  Yes  'm,  if  you  please,"  came  in  strange,  meek 
accents.  "  I  'd  like  to  speak  with  you." 

It  was  so  entirely  out  of  the  course  of  human 
events  for  Myrtella  to  assume  humility,  that  Miss 
Lady  looked  at  her  in  amazement. 

"  I  can't  say,"  began  Myrtella,  still  half  behind 
the  door,  "  that  I  like  the  way  things  is  run  in  this 
house.  I  'm  thinkin'  some  of  givin'  notice." 

"  Why,  Myrtella !  "  cried  Miss  Lady  in  dismay. 
"  I  'm  afraid  the  work  is  too  heavy.  We  might 
get-" 

"  Need  n't  mind  finishing  Mis'  Squeerington,  you 
was  goin'  to  say  a  house  girl.  If  you  think  I  *d  share 
my  room  with  any  Dutch  or  Irish  biddy,  I  must  say 

193 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

you  're  mighty  mistaken  !  Besides,  ain't  I  givin'  sat 
isfaction?  Ain't  I  doin1  the  work  to  suit  you?  " 

"Of  course  you  are,  but  I  thought  you  — " 

"  Was  gettin'  old,  I  suppose,  and  could  n't  do  as 
much  work  as  I  used  to.  I  look  feeble,  don't  I  ?  " 

Miss  Lady  glanced  at  the  massive  figure  with 
brawny  arms  akimbo,  and  smiled. 

"Well,  what's  the  trouble  then?"  she  asked 
kindly.  "  Why  do  you  want  to  leave  ?  " 

Myrtella's  eyes  shifted  as  she  rubbed  some  im 
aginary  dust  from  the  door : 

"  I  ain't  used  to  working  fer  a  lady  that  don't  take 
no  holt.  It  don't  seem  natural,  and  it  leaves  folks 
room  to  talk/' 

"  But  I  thought  you  wanted  to  have  full  charge 
and  run  things  just  as  you  have  done  in  the  past." 

"  Well,  it  don't  look  right  fer  you  not  to  be  givin' 
me  no  orders,  nor  rowin'  the  grocery  man,  nor 
lightin'  into  nobody.  If  folks  did  n't  know  better 
they  'd  think  you  was  n't  used  to  bein'  a  lady !  " 

Miss  Lady  bit  her  lip  to  keep  from  laughing. 

"  I  '11  be  only  too  glad  to  keep  house,  only  I 
don't  know  much  about  it.  Aunt  Caroline  and 
Uncle  Jimpson  did  everything  out  home,  and  you  've 
done  everything  here." 

"  Well,  I  ain't  goin'  to  no  longer/'  said  Myrtella 
firmly.  "If  you  want  to  light  in  and  learn,  I  '11 
learn  you.  But  I  ain't  going  to  stay  except  on  one 

194 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

condition,  you  got  to  take  a  holt  of  everything! 
You  got  to  lock  things  up  and  give  me  out  what  I 
need.  You  got  to  order  all  the  meals  and  tell  me 
what  you  want  done  every  mornin'.  I  ain't  goin' 
to  have  people  throwin'  it  in  my  face  that  I  work 
for  a  lady  that  don't  know  a  skillet  from  a  sauce 
pan!" 

"You're  right,  Myrtella,"  said  Miss  Lady,  her 
face  grown  suddenly  grave.  "  I  don't  wonder  you 
are  ashamed  of  me.  Perhaps  some  good  hard  work 
will  brush  the  cobwebs  out  of  my  brain.  When 
shall  I  take  charge  of  things,  to-morrow?  " 

"  As  you  say,"  said  Myrtella  meekly ;  then  with  a 
sudden  flare,  "  though  it  does  look  like  I  might  be 
trusted  one  more  day  to  finish  up  the  general  clean 
ing  and  git  after  the  ashman  for  not  empty  in'  them 
barrels." 

"Friday,  then?" 

"  Friday,"  said  Myrtella  as  one  who  signed  her 
own  death  warrant,  and  the  young  mistress  gazing 
absently  out  of  the  window  little  guessed  that  a  pow 
erful  usurper  was  voluntarily  abdicating  a  throne 
in  order  that  the  rightful  owner  might  come  into  her 
own. 


195 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE  red  lamps  were  all  lighted  in  Mrs.  Ivy's 
small  parlor,  and  the  disordered  tea-table  and 
general  confusion  of  the  overcrowded  room,  gave 
evidence  that  one  of  her  frequent  "  at  homes  "  had 
been  brought  to  an  end. 

It  might  have  been  inferred  that  the  hostess  had 
also  been  brought  to  an  end,  to  judge  from  her  closed 
eyes  and  clasped  hands,  and  the  effort  with  which 
she  inhaled  her  breath  and  the  violence  with  which 
she  exhaled  it.  The  maid,  clearing  away  the  tea 
things,  viewed  her  with  apprehension. 

"  Excuse  me,  ma'm,  but  will  you  be  havin'  the 
hot-water  bag?  "  she  asked  when  she  could  endure 
the  strain  no  longer. 

Mrs.  Ivy  opened  one  reluctant  eye  and  conde 
scended  to  recall  her  spirit  to  the  material  world. 

"  Norah,  how  could  you?  "  she  asked  plaintively. 
"  Have  n't  I  begged  you  never  to  disturb  my  medita 
tion?" 

'  Yis,  ma'm,  but  this,  you  might  say,  was  worse 
than  usual.  Me  mother's  twin  sister  died  of  the 
asthmy." 

196 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  Never  speak  to  me  when  you  see  me  entering 
into  the  silence.  I  was  denying  fatigue ;  now  I  shall 
have  to  begin  all  over !  " 

It  was  evidently  difficult  for  Mrs.  Ivy  to  again 
tranquilize  her  spirit.  Her  eyes  roved  fondly  about 
the  room,  resting  first  upon  one  cherished  object  then 
upon  another.  Autographed  photographs  lined 
the  walls,  autographed  volumes  littered  the  tables. 
Above  her  head  two  small  bronze  censers  sent 
wreaths  of  incense  curling  about  a  vast  testimonial, 
acknowledging  her  valiant  service  in  behalf  of  the 
anti-tobacco  crusade.  Flanking  this  were  badges  of 
divers  shape  and  size,  representing  societies  to  which 
she  belonged.  In  the  cabinet  at  her  left  were  still 
more  disturbing  treasures  such  as  Gerald's  first  pair 
of  shoes,  and  the  gavel  that  the  last  president  of 
the  Federated  Sisterhood  had  used  before  she  had, 
as  Mrs.  Ivy  was  fond  of  saying,  "  been  called  upon 
to  hand  in  her  resignation  by  the  Board  of  Death." 

Before  the  error  of  fatigue  had  been  entirely 
erased  from  her  mental  state,  her  eyes  fell  upon  a 
pamphlet,  and  she  immediately  became  absorbed  in 
its  contents.  It  set  forth  the  need  for  a  Home  for 
Crippled  Animals,  and  by  the  time  she  reached  the 
second  page  she  was  framing  a  motion  to  be  pre 
sented  to  her  club  on  the  morrow.  Mrs.  Ivy  was 
greatly  addicted  to  motions;  in  fact,  it  was  one  of 
her  missions  in  life  continually  to  move  that  things 

197 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

should  be  other  than  they  were,  without  in  any  way 
supplying  the  motive  power  to  change  them. 

While  thus  engaged  she  was  interrupted  by  a  be 
lated  caller.  He  was  a  short,  heavy-set  young  man, 
with  a  square  prominent  jaw,  and  a  twinkle  in  his 
eye. 

"  Mister  Decker !  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Ivy,  swimming 
toward  him.  "  After  all  these  months  in  those  won 
derful  Eastern  lands !  I  can  almost  catch  the  odor 
of  sandal  wood  about  you !  " 

"  It 's  dope,"  said  Decker,  with  an  easy  laugh. 
"  Chinese  dope.  I  've  had  these  clothes  cleaned 
twice,  and  I  can't  get  rid  of  it.  Had  them  on  one 
night  in  an  opium  den  in  Hankow.  Funny  how  that 
smell  stays  with  you." 

"An  opium  den?"  repeated  Mrs.  Ivy,  lifting  a 
protesting  hand.  "  And  is  no  effort  being  made  to 
stamp  out  such  iniquities  in  China  ?  Might  not  some 
concerted  action  on  the  part  of  the  women's  clubs 
in  all  the  Christian  countries  create  a  public  senti 
ment  against  them  ?  " 

Decker  bit  his  lip  as  he  stooped  to  pick  up  the 
leaflet  she  had  dropped. 

"  Gerald  's  here  I  suppose?  " 

"  Of  course!  How  thoughtless  of  me  not  to  ex 
plain  that  I  ahvays  insist  upon  the  dear  lad  resting 
between  four  and  five.  He  inherits  delicate  lungs 
from  his  father,  and  an  emotional,  artistic  tempera- 

198 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

ment  from  me.  Then  both  of  his  maternal  grand 
parents  had  heart  trouble." 

"Still  hammers  away  at  his  music,  I  suppose?" 
Decker  asked,  minutely  inspecting  the  photograph 
of  a  meek-looking  female  who  appeared  totally  un 
able  to  live  up  to  the  bold,  aggressive  signature  with 
which  she  had  signed  herself. 

u  Dear  Miss  Snell,"  Mrs.  Ivy  explained,  "  corre 
sponding  secretary  of  the  A.  T.  L.  A.  If  you  had 
only  come  sooner  you  could  have  met  her.  What 
were  you  asking?  Oh,  yes!  about  Gerald's  music. 
Why,  you  could  no  more  imagine  Gerald  without 
music,  than  you  could  think  of  a  bird  without  wings. 
He  would  simply  perish  without  a  piano.  When  we 
are  abroad  we  rent  one  if  we  are  only  going  to  be 
in  a  place  ten  days.  His  Papa  can't  understand  this, 
but  then  Mr.  Ivy  is  not  musical,  poor  dear ;  he  really 
does  n't  know  a  fugue  from  a  fantasie." 

"  Neither  do  I,"  said  Decker.  "  Do  the  Queer- 
ingtons  still  live  next  door  ?  " 

1  Yes.  You  know  our  beloved  Doctor  has  mar 
ried  again." 

"  What !  Good  old  Syllogism  Queerington ! 
you  don't  mean  it!  I  wonder  if  he  knows  her  first 
name?  He  taught  me  four  years  up  at  the  Univer 
sity  and  never  could  remember  mine." 

"  Oh !  here  's  my  boy !  Are  you  feeling  better, 
clear  ?  "  Mrs.  Ivy  turned  expectant  eyes  to  the  door 
13  199 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

where  a  lean,  loosely  put  together  young  man  was 
just  entering.  He  had  the  slouching  gait  that  in 
dicates  relaxed  ambitions  as  well  as  relaxed  muscles, 
and  his  hands  were  deep  in  his  pockets  as  if  they 
were  at  home  there. 

1  "Hello,  Decker,  glad  to  see  you,"  he  drawled 
languidly.  "Wish  you  'd  stir  the  fire,  Mater  dear; 
it 's  beastly  cold  in  here." 

"  I  '11  do  it,"  said  Decker  shortly. 

Gerald  Ivy  dropped  gracefully  on  the  sofa,  and 
became  absorbed  in  examining  his  nails.  He  was 
rather  a  handsome  if  anemic  youth,  with  the  gen 
eral  air  of  one  w?ho  has  weighed  the  world  and 
found  it  wanting.  His  eyes,  large  and  brown  and 
effective,  swept  the  room  restlessly.  They  were  ac 
complished  eyes,  being  capable  of  expressing  more 
emotions  in  a  moment  than  Gerald  had  felt  in  a  life 
time. 

As  he  idly  turned  the  leaves  of  a  magazine,  he 
asked  Decker  how  long  he  had  been  back  in  America. 

"  A  couple  of  months,  but  I  Ve  only  been  in  town 
two  weeks.  Sorry  to  hear  you  are  under  the 
weather." 

"  Oh !  I  'm  a  ruin,"  said  Gerald ;  "  a  dilapidated, 
romantic  ruin.  Something  's  gone  wrong  in  the  bel 
fry  to-day.  Is  my  face  swollen,  Mater?  " 

Mrs.  Ivy  bent  over  him  in  instant  solicitude. 
200 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"I  do  believe  it  is  swollen,  darling;  just  here. 
Look,  Mr.  Decker,  does  n't  it  seem  a  trifle  fuller  than 
the  other  side?" 

Cropsie  Decker's  eye,  not  being  trained  by  years 
of  maternal  solicitude,  failed  to  distinguish  any  dif 
ference. 

"No  matter,"  said  Gerald  gloomily;  "if  it  isn't 
then  it 's  something  else.  What 's  the  news, 
Decker?" 

"  The  only  news  for  me  is  this  idiotic  talk  that  has 
been  allowed  to  go  the  rounds  about  Don  Morley. 
That  is  what  I  came  to  see  you  about.  What  does 
Dillingham  have  to  say  about  it?  " 

"  Oh,  you  know  Dill ;  he  side-steps.  The  whole 
thing  has  blown  over  here  months  ago;  the  subject 
is  as  extinct  as  the  dodo." 

"  Well,  it  won't  be  extinct  long !  I  Ve  cabled  Don 
to  come  home,  and  I  bet  he  '11  stir  things  up. 
There  's  nothing  to  hold  him  now  that  Margery  Se 
quin  's  broken  her  engagement." 

"  So  sad !  "  murmured  Mrs.  Ivy.  "  I  hope  young 
Mr.  Dillingham  won't  do  anything  desperate.  To 
think  of  his  cup  of  happiness  being  dashed  from  his 
lips  — " 

The  two  young  men  looked  at  each  other  and 
laughed. 

"  Don't  worry  about  Dill,  Mater.  He  has  more 
201 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

than  one  cup  to  fall  back  on.  It  is  old  man  Sequin 
that  may  do  something  desperate.  I  hear  they  have 
made  no  end  of  a  row,  but  Margery  holds  her  own." 

"  They  say  on  the  street,"  said  Decker,  "  that  Mr. 
Sequin  has  been  counting  on  the  Dillinghams'  money 
to  reinforce  the  bank.  He  's  been  going  it  pretty 
heavy  the  last  two  years." 

"  One  cannot  live  by  bread  alone,"  quoted  Mrs. 
Ivy ;  "  our  friends  have  been  living  the  material 
life,  they  have  forgotten  that  they  are  but  stewards, 
and  as  stewards  will  be  held  accountable  for  the  way 
they  use  their  wealth.  Mrs.  Sequin  makes  abso 
lutely  no  effort  to  advance  the  progress  of  the  world. 
She  has  refused  from  the  first  to  join  the  A.  T.  L.  A. 
and  she  is  not  even  a  member  of  the  Woman's 
Club." 

"  Well,  I  hope  Mr.  Sequin  has  n't  been  playing 
with  Don  Morley's  money,"  said  Decker,  resuming 
the  subject  from  which  Mrs.  Ivy  had  flown  off  at 
a  tangent.  "  Donald  has  always  left  everything 
to  him,  and  does  n't  know  anything  more  about  his 
investments  than  I  do.  All  he  is  concerned  with  is 
spending  his  income,  and  that  keeps  him  busy." 

At  this  moment  Norah  appeared  with  fresh  tea 
and  cakes,  making  her  way  with  some  difficulty 
through  the  labyrinth  of  red  lamps,  small  tables, 
foot-stools  and  marble-crowned  pedestals  that 
crowded  the  room. 

202 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"Ah!"  cried  Mrs.  Ivy,  "here  are  some  of  the 
little  cakes,  Gerald,  that  you  love.  You  will  try 
one,  won't  you?  We  have  the  greatest  time  tempt 
ing  his  appetite,  Mr.  Decker.  He  can  only  eat  what 
he  likes.  I  have  always  contended  with  his  father 
that  there  \vas  some  physical  cause  for  his  craving 
sweets.  I  never  refused  them  to  him  when  he  was 
a  child.  But  from  the  time  he  was  born  he  has 
never  really  lived  on  food,  he  has  lived  on  music." 

Gerald,  at  the  moment  regaling  himself  with  his 
second  cake,  gave  evidence  that  he  did  not  rely  solely 
on  the  sustaining  power  of  music. 

"  And  now,  will  you  excuse  me,  dear  Mr. 
Decker?"  asked  Mrs.  Ivy,  gathering  her  lavender 
skirts  about  her.  "  I  am  a  very,  very  busy  woman, 
and  my  desk  claims  much  of  my  time.  You  will 
come  to  us  again,  won't  you?  Gerald's  friends,  you 
know,  are  my  friends.  Good-by."  And  with  a  ten 
der  pressure  of  the  hand,  and  a  lingering  look  she 
was  gone. 

Gerald  waited  until  the  door  was  closed,  then  pro 
duced  cigarettes  which  he  proffered  to  Decker. 

"  Mater's  last  hobby  is  tobacco,"  he  smiled  in 
dulgently.  "  She  is  going  to  abolish  it  from  the 
universe.  Do  you  remember  how  Doctor  Queer- 
ington  used  to  hold  forth  on  the  subject  at  the 
university  ?  " 

"  By  the  way,  your  mother  tells  me  he  has  mar- 
203 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

ried  again.     I  don't  know  why,  but  that  tickles  me. 
Was  she  a  widow  ?  " 

Gerald  with  his  elbows  on  the  arms  of  his  chair 
and  holding  his  teacup  with  both  hands  just  below 
the  level  of  his  eyes,  looked  suddenly  gloomy. 

"  No/'  he  said.  "  I  wish  to  Heaven  she  was 
one!" 

"  What 's  the  matter  with  Old  Syllogism?  I  al 
ways  thought  he  was  a  rather  good  sort." 

"  I  'm  not  thinking  about  him! "  Gerald  said  im 
patiently.  "  I  am  thinking  of  the  girl.  She  can't 
be  much  older  than  I  am  and  the  most  exquisite 
thing  you  ever  beheld.  Her  coloring  is  absolutely 
luminous.  She  ought  to  be  painted  by  Besnard  or 
La  Touche  or  some  of  those  French  chaps  that  make 
a  specialty  of  light.  She  positively  radiates !  " 

"  How  did  she  ever  happen  to  marry  the  Doc 
tor?" 

"  Heaven  knows !  He  captured  her  in  the  woods 
somewhere.  I  don't  suppose  she  had  ever  seen  a 
man  before.  Jove!  You  ought  to  see  her  play 
tennis,  and  to  hear  her  laugh.  She  's  a  perfect  won 
der,  as  free  and  easy  as  one  of  the  boys,  but  straight 
as  a  die.  Does  n't  give  a  flip  for  money  or  clothes, 
or  society.  Did  you  ever  hear  of  a  really  pretty 
girl  being  like  that  ?  " 

"  I  hope  Doctor  Queerington  likes  her  as  well  as 
you  do." 

204 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  Heavens,  man !  everybody  likes  her ;  you  can't 
help  it.  But  nobody  understands  her.  You  see 
they  look  on  her  as  a  child ;  they  have  n't  the  faintest 
conception  of  what  she  is  going  through." 

"  And  you  think  you  have  ?  " 

"  I  know  it.  She  's  trying  to  adjust  herself,  and 
she  can't.  She  's  finding  out  her  mistake  and  mak 
ing  a  game  fight  to  hide  it.  When  she  first  came 
she  went  in  for  everything.  She  had  never  played 
tennis  or  golf,  and  she  got  more  fun  out  of  learning 
than  anybody  I  ever  saw.  Then  suddenly  she 
stopped.  Some  old  desiccated  relative  told  the  Doc 
tor  it  did  n't  look  well  for  his  wife  to  be  running 
around  with  the  young  people,  and  that  settled  it. 
She  gave  up  like  an  angel,  and  she  's  not  the  kind 
that  likes  to  give  up  either.  Now  her  days  are  de 
voted  to  the  heavy  domestic,  and  her  evenings  to 
improving  her  mind  in  the  Doctor's  stuffy  old 
study." 

"  Talking  to  the  Doctor,"  confessed  Decker,  "  al 
ways  affected  me  like  looking  at  Niagara  Falls; 
grand,  and  imposing  and  awe-inspiring,  but  a  little 
goes  a  long  way.  How  is  she  standing  it  ?  " 

"  Getting  thinner  and  paler  and  prettier  every  day. 
She  's  a  country  girl,  you  know,  used  to  horses, 
and  outdoor  exercise.  She  must  have  been  beastly 
homesick,  but  she  's  game  through  and  through.  It 
was  awfully  hard  for  her  to  bluff  at  first.  That 's 

205 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

because  she  is  so  honest.  But  she  has  had  to  learn. 
No  woman,  good  or  bad,  can  get  through  life  with 
out  learning  to  bluff,  only  it  comes  harder  for  the 
good  ones.  What 's  that  confounded  racket  in  the 
street?" 

They  rose  and  went  to  the  window,  Gerald  looking 
over  the  shoulder  of  his  shorter  companion. 

A  superannuated  gray  mule  hitched  to  a  heavy 
cart  had  come  to  a  standstill  in  the  middle  of  the 
street,  and  a  group  of  excited  negroes  were  vainly 
trying  to  induce  him  to  move  on.  With  one  ear 
cocked  forward,  and  his  forefeet  firmly  planted,  the 
decrepit  animal  dumbly  made  his  declaration  of  in 
dependence,  taking  the  blows  that  rained  upon  his 
back  with  the  dogged  heroism  of  one  who  has  re 
solved  to  die  rather  than  surrender. 

"  By  Jupiter,  if  those  coons  are  n't  fixing  to  build 
a  fire  under  him!"  exclaimed  Decker.  "They'd 
rather  fool  with  a  balking  mule  than  eat  water 
melon  !  Let 's  go  out  to  see  the  sport." 

When  Decker  reached  the  porch,  having  left  Ger 
ald  at  the  hall  mirror,  inspecting  his  face  with  mi 
nute  solicitude,  a  new  figure  had  appeared  on  the 
scene.  It  was  a  girl  dressed  in  white,  standing  in 
the  Queeringtons'  yard,  and  as  he  looked  he  saw 
her  suddenly  dart  out  of  the  gate  and  into  the  street 
as  if  she  had  been  shot  from  a  cannon. 

"  Stop  pulling  his  head  like  that !  "  she  demanded. 
206 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  Don't  you  dare  to  strike  him  again.  Take  that  fire 
away !  " 

The  negroes  fell  back  somewhat  astonished,  and 
the  driver  arrested  his  whip  in  the  air. 

"  I  '11  show  you  how  to  make  him  go,"  she  went 
on ;  "  put  mud  in  his  mouth.  Yes,  mud,  a  big  lump 
of  mud.  There,  that  '11  do;  make  it  into  a  ball,  and 
put  it  in.  Yes,  you  can !  Oh,  dear !  Give  it  to  me !" 

She  seized  the  mule's  lower  jaw  with  her  thumb 
and  forefinger,  and  with  a  deft  movement  succeeded 
in  getting  the  unwelcome  substance  between  the 
animal's  teeth. 

The  mule  evinced  surprise,  then  curiosity.  His 
fore  feet  relaxed,  his  eye  lost  its  fire,  and  when  a 
gentle  pressure  fell  upon  his  halter,  he  was  too  en 
grossed  in  the  new  sensation  to  resist  it. 

"Bravo,  Miss  Lady!"  called  Gerald,  sauntering 
forward  to  meet  her.  "  I  told  you  you  were  irre 
sistible.  What  did  you  whisper  in  his  ear  ?  " 

"  Lots  of  things !  "  she  said,  accepting  his  immacu 
late  handkerchief  to  wipe  the  mud  from  her  hands, 
"  but  of  course  the  mud  helped.  Uncle  Jimpson 
taught  me  that  trick.  He  says  a  mule  has  room 
in  his  head  for  only  one  thought  at  a  time,  and  all 
you  have  to  do  is  to  change  his  balking  thought  for 
some  other  and  he  '11  go." 

"  I  hope  you  will  never  have  to  put  mud  in  my 
mouth,"  said  Gerald,  looking  at  her  with  no  attempt 

207 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

to  conceal  his  admiration.  "  Can't  you  come  over 
and  see  mother  for  a  bit  ?  She  'd  love  to  give  you  a 
cup  of  tea." 

"  I  don't  like  tea  in  the  afternoon ;  it  spoils  my 
supper." 

"  Well,  then,  come  over  to  see  me.  There  's  a 
friend  of  mine  I  want  you  to  meet.  I  've  been  tell 
ing  him  about  you." 

"  I  can't.  I  'm  drawing  pictures  for  Bertie. 
He  '11  be  disappointed." 

"  So  will  I.     So  will  Decker." 

"Decker?"  Miss  Lady  flashed  a  glance  at  him. 
"  You  don't  mean  Cropsie  Decker?  " 

"  Yes,  I  do ;  the  special  correspondent  for  the  Her 
ald-Post.  Is  that  sufficient  inducement  ?  " 

Miss  Lady  looked  at  him  rather  strangely.  "  I  '11 
come,"  she  said  after  a  moment's  hesitation. 

They  did  not  return  to  the  parlor  but  to  the  music- 
room,  a  large  room  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  hall, 
which  Mrs.  Ivy,  a  firm  believer  in  the  psychological 
effect  of  color,  had  fitted  out  in  blue  to  induce  a 
contemplative  mood  in  the  occupants.  On  the  man 
tel  and  tables  were  the  same  miscellaneous  collection 
of  bric-a-brac  that  characterized  the  parlor.  Sev 
eral  pictures  of  Gerald  adorned  the  walls,  the  most 
imposing  of  which  presented  him  seated  at  the  piano, 
with  his  mother  standing  beside  him,  a  rapt  expres 
sion  on  her  elevated  profile. 

208 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Miss  Lady  flitted  about  from  object  to  object, 
asking  questions,  not  waiting  for  answers,  seeing 
everything,  commenting  on  everything  while  the  two 
young  men  stood  side  by  side  on  the  hearth  rug  and 
watched  her.  She  was  like  a  humming-bird  afraid 
to  light. 

"  Please,  Mrs.  Queerington,"  Gerald  begged  at 
last.  "  You  know  you  don't  care  for  those  old  ko 
daks.  I  '11  show  them  to  you  another  time.  I  want 
you  to  talk  to  Decker.  Sit  down  here  in  this  big 
chair  and  I  '11  sit  at  your  feet,  where  I  belong,  and 
Cropsie  '11  sit  anywhere  he  likes  and  tell  us  about  his 
adventures." 

"  But  where  's  your  mother?  I  thought  you  said 
she  was  serving  tea  ?  " 

"  She  '11  be  down  directly.  Now,  tell  us  a  story, 
Decker.  A  man  can't  wander  around  the  Orient 
for  a  year  without  having  something  exciting  hap 
pen  to  him." 

"  I  'm  afraid  I  have  n't  an  experiencing  nature," 
said  Decker,  smiling.  "  You  ought  to  have  Morley 
here.  He  's  the  fellow  that  went  over  with  me,  Mrs. 
Queerington.  I  '11  back  him  against  the  field  for 
having  adventures.  You  remember  that  big  fire  last 
year  in  Tokyo?  Don  was  the  first  Johnny  on  the 
spot,  doing  the  noble  hero  act,  dragging  out  women 
and  children  and  gallantly  fighting  the  flames,  while 
I  lay  up  in  bed  at  the  Imperial  Hotel  and  fought 

209 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

mosquitoes!  He  was  in  a  collision  at  sea,  just  off 
the  coast  of  Korea,  got  mixed  up  in  a  Chinese  up 
rising  in  Nanking  and  was  arrested  for  a  spy  while 
taking  pictures  of  the  fortifications  at  Miyajima.  If 
I  had  half  his  luck  I  'd  be  the  highest  priced  man  in 
the  syndicate." 

"  I  don't  know  that  I  particularly  envy  him  his 
luck  in  the  incident  that  happened  here  just  before 
he  left,"  said  Gerald,  lighting  a  fresh  cigarette. 

"  It  was  nothing  to  his  discredit,"  said  Decker 
hotly.  "  He  happened  to  be  a  witness  when  that  fool 
Dillingham  got  into  a  shooting  scrape,  and  he  left 
town  because  he  did  not  want  to  testify  against  the 
man  his  niece  was  going  to  marry.  He  did  n't  con 
sider  the  consequences,  he  never  does.  It  was  a  toss 
up  when  I  met  him  in  'Frisco  whether  he  would  come 
home,  or  go  on." 

"  Didn't  he  know  he  was  indicted?  "  asked  Ger 
ald. 

"  Certainly  not.  Neither  of  us  knew  it  until  I  got 
home  and  found  people  talking  about  '  Poor  Donald 
Morley,'  and  acting  as  if  he  were  a  refugee  from 
justice.  Two  or  three  letters  came  from  Mrs.  Se 
quin,  but  she  was  so  busy  urging  Don  to  stay  away 
that  she  had  n't  time  to  write  anything  else.  We 
did  get  one  old  home  paper,  somewhere  in  Java, 
with  an  account  of  the  trial.  That  was  the  first 
intimation  Don  had  that  Dillingham  was  throwing 

210 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

aff  on  him.  Even  then  he  could  scarcely  believe  it ; 
there  's  nothing  in  him  to  understand  a  man  like 
Lee  Dillingham." 

"  But  he  was  with  him, —  that  night  at  the  saloon," 
ventured  Miss  Lady,  sitting  up  very  straight  and  lis 
tening  very  intently. 

Gerald  smiled  skeptically.  "  He  went  in  out  of 
the  rain,  my  dear  lady ;  that 's  what  he  wrote  home, 
I  understand ;  and  he  did  n't  indulge  in  a  single  drink. 
Rather  a  strain  on  the  imagination  in  the  light  of 
subsequent  events." 

"  See  here,  Ivy,"  said  Decker,  rising  and  stand 
ing  before  the  fire  with  his  square  jaw  thrust  out, 
and  the  twinkle  gone  from  his  eye.  "  I  happen  to 
know  this  story  from  beginning  to  end,  and  we  both 
know  Don  Morley.  He  's  as  full  of  faults  as  a  por 
cupine  is  of  quills,  but  he  's  neither  a  liar  nor  a  cow 
ard.  If  he  says  he  was  sober  that  night  I  'd  stake 
my  life  he  was." 

There  was  an  uncomfortable  pause  during  which 
Gerald  tenderly  felt  his  afflicted  face,  and  Decker 
glared  at  the  chandelier. 

"  He  ought  to  have  stayed  to  explain,"  said  Miss 
Lady,  not  daring  to  look  up ;  "  a  man's  first  duty  is  to 
himself  and  —  and  to  those  who  care  for  him." 

"  That  was  the  trouble,"  said  Decker  slowly.  "  It 
seems  that  the  one  person  Don  cared  most  about 
would  n't  listen  to  an  explanation.  He  wrote  her 

211 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

full  particulars,  and  asked  her  to  telegraph  him  if 
he  should  go  or  stay.  When  I  met  him  in  'Frisco 
he  had  been  waiting  for  that  wire  for  three  days, 
and  he  was  nearly  off  his  head.  I  got  him  on  the 
steamer  almost  by  main  force.  We  laid  over  ten 
clays  in  Honolulu,  and  he  got  the  notion  that  a  letter 
would  be  waiting  for  him  in  Yokohama,  and  that 
he  would  take  the  next  steamer  home.  All  the  way 
across  I  heard  about  that  girl  from  the  time  the 
Chino  brought  our  coffee  in  the  morning  until  we 
went  below  again  for  the  night.  He  all  but  said 
his  prayers  to  her;  cut  out  everything  to  drink;  even 
refused  to  play  a  friendly  game  of  poker.  Why, 
I  've  tramped  so  many  decks  to  the  tune  of  that 
girl's  charms  that  I  could  write  a  book  about  her." 

"  What  is  her  name  ?  "  asked  Gerald  greatly  in 
terested. 

"  Heavens,  I  don't  know !  She  was  a  wood 
nymth,  a  dryad,  a  jewel,  a  flower,  I  could  keep  it 
up  indefinitely.  He  had  a  new  one  for  her  every 
day.  When  we  reached  Japan,  he  could  n't  wait 
for  the  steamer  to  dock  but  went  ashore  in  the  pilot 
boat,  and  made  a  bee  line  for  Cook's.  There  was 
nothing  there.  It  was  like  that  at  every  port  we 
touched.  Each  time  he  would  get  his  hopes  up  to 
fever  heat,  and  each  time  he  'd  be  disappointed.  I 
never  saw  such  perseverance  and  belief.  He  made 
excuse  after  excuse  for  her.  He  was  too  proud  to 

212 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

write  again,  and  he  got  leaner  and  leaner  and  more 
and  more  homesick.  You  know  that  collision  I 
spoke  of?  Well,  he  got  in  that  by  waiting  over  a 
steamer  at  Nagasaki  in  the  hope  of  getting  a  letter 
before  he  left  Japan." 

"  What  happened  next?  "  asked  Gerald;  "  did  an 
other  planet  swim  into  his  ken?  " 

"  Hardly.  The  smash  came  just  before  I  left  him, 
a  couple  of  months  ago.  We  were  at  Raffles  Hotel 
in  Singapore  having  tea  with  some  French  girls  from 
the  steamer.  Our  purser  happened  along  and  gave 
Don  a  letter  which  I  recognized  as  being  from  Mrs. 
Sequin.  He  read  the  first  sheet,  then  looked  up  in 
a  wild  sort  of  way,  and  asked  if  we  'd  mind  excus 
ing  him  as  he  had  something  he  wanted  to  see  to 
before  the  steamer  sailed.  At  five  o'clock  he  'd 
never  shown  up,  and  I  had  to  hustle  our  bags  ashore 
and  start  out  to  look  for  him.  He  'd  been  awfully 
seedy  for  a  couple  of  months  and  when  he  got  left  I 
knew  something  serious  had  happened.  I  found  him 
late  that  night  in  the  foreign  hospital  out  of  his  head 
with  a  fever.  It  seems  the  letter  had  told  him  that 
his  girl  was  going  to  be  married,  and  half  beside 
himself  he  had  gotten  into  a  rikisha,  and  ridden 
for  hours  in  the  tropical  sun,  trying  to  face  the 
fact.  Of  course  in  the  run-down  state  he  was  in, 
it  put  him  out  of  business,  and  by  the  time  he  got 
back  to  Raffles',  he  did  n't  know  who  he  was,  nor 

213 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

where  he  was.  I  stayed  with  him  until  the  Herald- 
Post  sent  for  me  to  come  home.  Maybe  you  don't 
think  I  hated  to  leave  the  old  chap,  in  that  God-for 
saken  country,  lying  flat  on  his  back,  staring  at  the 
ceiling,  with  all  his  illusions  smashed." 

"  Did  he  want  to  come  with  you?  "  asked  Gerald. 

"  He  did  n't  want  anything.  He  had  wanted  one 
thing  so  long  there  was  no  more  want  left  in  him. 
I  tried  to  get  him  to  let  me  engage  passage  for  him 
on  the  next  home-bound  steamer.  But  he  said  he 
doubted  if  he  'd  ever  come  back,  that  as  soon  as  he 
was  able  to  travel  he  would  go  on  around  the  world, 
and  that  it  did  n't  make  much  difference  where  he 
landed." 

"  Quite  a  tragic  little  romance/'  Gerald  said. 
"  What  a  lot  of  mischief  you  women  have  to  answer 
for,  Mrs.  Q. !  " 

But  Miss  Lady  did  not  hear  him,  she  was  still 
eaning  forward  absorbed  in  Decker's  narrative. 

"  If  he  comes  home,  in  answer  to  your  cable,  when 
can  he  get  here  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  Not  before  Christmas  I  should  say." 

"  If  I  were  Lee  Dillingham  I  should  go  South  for 
the  winter,"  Gerald  said,  going  to  the  piano  and 
striking  a  few  random  chords. 

After  Cropsie  Decker  left,  Miss  Lady  sat  very 
quiet  in  the  big  chair,  while  Gerald  played  to  her. 

214 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

It  was  well  that  only  the  kindly  old  bust  of  Liszt 
looked  down  on  her  tense  white  face,  and  clasped 
hands. 

For  over  two  months  she  had  been  fighting  a 
specter,  never  daring  to  lift  her  eyes  to  it,  but  fight 
ing  it  blindly,  passionately,  unceasingly.  She  had 
denied  its  existence,  refuted  every  memory,  rilled 
her  life  to  the  brim  with  other  interests,  other  affec 
tions,  and  here  suddenly  she  had  met  it  face  to  face, 
and  it  was  no  longer  horrible,  but  a  beautiful;  radiant 
vision,  a  thing  to  be  buried  in  her  innermost  being, 
a  sacred,  solemn  thing,  not  to  be  looked  at,  or  dwelt 
upon,  but  no  longer  to  be  denied. 

The  stormy,  insistent  strains  of  the  "  Appassion- 
ata  "  filled  the  room,  surging  through  every  fiber  of 
her,  lifting  and  abasing  her  by  turns.  How  could 
she  get  hold  of  herself  while  Gerald  played  like 
that?  She  was  sinking  in  a  great  sea  of  emotion 
and  the  music  swept  about  her  like  a  mighty  gale, 
shutting  out  everything  in  the  world  but  Donald 
Morley.  He  had  not  failed  her,  it  was  she  who 
had  failed  him.  He  was  coming  home,  and  it  was 
too  late.  She  would  have  to  meet  him  face  to  face, 
to  see  all  that  he  had  suffered  in  his  eyes  and  speak 
no  word.  Surely  she  might  give  him  this  one  hour, 
just  while  the  music  lasted;  give  it  to  him  and  to 
herself  for  the  lifetime  together  they  had  missed. 
14  215 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

She  did  not  know  when  the  music  stopped,  she 
did  not  know  when  Gerald  came  back  to  the  hassock 
at  her  feet.  He  had  evidently  been  there  some  time 
when  she  was  aware  of  his  elbow  on  the  arm  of  her 
chair,  and  his  head  buried  in  it. 

"Gerald!"  she  said,  starting  up;  "what's  the 
matter?" 

"  Everything.     Is  that  your  trouble?  " 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  I  mean  that  you  are  unhappy,"  he  said,  catching 
her  hand. 

She  sprang  to  her  feet  and  snapped  on  the  electric 
lights. 

"Do  I  look  as  if  I  were  unhappy?"  she  de 
manded,  flashing  on  him  her  old,  bright  smile.  "  It 
was  the  music,  and  the  twilight,  and  the  way  you 
played.  That  sonata  ought  never  to  be  played  ex 
cept  in  a  crowded  room  with  all  the  lights  on." 

"  It  was  n't  the  music,"  Gerald  persisted ;  "  you 
know  it  was  n't.  Something  's  troubling  you,  and 
something  is  troubling  me.  May  I  tell  you  what  is 
the  matter  with  me,  Miss  Lady  ?  " 

He  was  looking  at  her  very  intently  across  the 
table,  and  Miss  Lady  for  the  first  time  recognized 
the  danger  signals  in  his  eyes. 

"  Let  me  guess !  "  she  cried,  her  wits  springing  to 
her  rescue.  "  I  think  I  know.  I  thought  so  when 
I  first  came  in.  It 's  mumps !  " 

216 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Gerald's  hand  flew  instinctively  to  his  face,  and 
his  eyes  sought  the  mirror.  Miss  Lady,  in  applying 
to  Gerald  Ivy,  Uncle  Jimpson's  remedy  for  a  balk 
ing  mule,  had  averted  a  disaster. 


217 


CHAPTER  XV 

TIME  was  an  abstraction  of  which  the  in 
habitants  of  Bean  Alley  took  little  notice. 
The  arbitrary  division  of  one's  life  into  weeks  and 
days  and  hours  seemed,  on  the  whole,  useless. 
There  was  but  one  day  for  the  men,  and  that  was 
pay  day,  and  one  for  the  women,  and  that  was  rent 
day.  As  for  the  children,  every  day  was  theirs, 
just  as  it  should  be  in  every  corner  of  the  world. 

On  this  particular  fall  afternoon,  just  outside 
Phineas  Flathers'  cottage,  a  lively  game  was  in 
progress.  It  was  a  game  known  in  Bean  Alley  as 
"  Sockabout,"  and  it  had  to*  do  with  caps  or  battered 
hats  laid  in  a  row,  and  with  a  small  rubber  ball  that 
was  thrown  into  them  from  a  distance.  Like  many 
other  apparently  simple  diversions,  Sockabout  had 
its  complexities.  In  fact,  the  rules  admitted  of  so 
many  interpretations  that  an  umpire  was  indispen 
sable. 

Under  ordinary  circumstances  Chick  Flathers 
would  have  scorned  so  passive  a  role  as  umpire,  but 
to-day  he  was  handicapped.  In  the  first  place  he 
had  no  cap  to  contribute  to  the  row  on  the  ground, 

218 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

and  in  the  second  he  was  burdened  with  a  very 
large  and  wriggly  bundle,  which  gave  evidence  of 
marked  disfavor  the  moment  he  ceased  to  jolt  it 
violently  on  his  knees. 

In  the  midst  of  an  unusually  fierce  altercation,  in 
which  four  boys  contended  for  the  same  cap, 
Skeeter  Sheeley's  voice  rose  above  the  clamor. 

"  It 's  our  turn !  Umpire  says  so,  did  n't  you, 
Chick?  Aw,  you  did,  too!  I  kin  understand  you 
better  'n  you  kin  understand  yourself.  'Course  it 's 
ours.  Stop  shovin'  me,  Gussie  McGlory,  I  '11  swat 
yer  in  the  jaw  in  a  minute!  Look  out,  Chick! 
Look  out  fer  the  kid !  " 

The  youngest  resident  of  Bean  Alley  was  prob 
ably  saved  from  premature  death  by  the  timely 
appearance  of  two  ladies  at  the  far  end  of  the 
street. 

Chick,  recognizing  the  younger  one,  started  joy 
fully  to  meet  her,  but  at  sight  of  her  companion  he 
stopped  short.  For  two  years  he  had  regarded  that 
plump,  smiling,  elderly  lady  as  his  arch  enemy. 
She  was  after  him.  She  wanted  to  put  him  in  some 
thing  that  sounded  like  "  The  Willows  Awful 
Home."  Once  she  had  almost  gotten  him,  but 
Aunt  'Telia  interposed.  He  was  not  afraid  of  the 
truant  officer,  nor  of  the  cop,  although  they  were 
generally  after  him,  too,  but  he  had  horrible  night 
mares  in  which  he  saw  himself  being  dragged  into 

219 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

captivity  by  this  bland  lady  in  the  purple  dress,  who 
always  smiled. 

Just  as  he  was  seeking  a  hiding-place  sufficiently 
large  to  accommodate  himself  and  his  charge,  he 
was  summoned  home.  Considerable  commotion 
was  apparent  in  the  crowded  kitchen  and  Mr. 
Flathers  was  moving  about  with  an  alacrity  unusual 
to  him. 

"  Git  off  your  shoes  and  stockings,  Chick,  and 
turn  your  coat  inside  out.  Here,  I  '11  hold  the  baby ; 
yer  Mammy  's  nursing  the  other  one.  Shove  that 
beer  can  under  the  stove,  and  hide  that  there  cuckoo 
clock." 

Chick  followed  instructions  with  the  air  of  one 
who  understood  the  situation.  It  was  not  the  first 
time  he  had  prepared  hurriedly  for  visitors. 

"  They  're  stopping  at  Jireses',"  reported  Mr. 
Flathers  from  the  window.  "  Here,  take  this  kid 
and  set  out  there  on  the  door-step.  Don't  you  dare 
budge  till  they  've  saw  you  and  spoke  to  you." 

Chick  resumed  his  position  on  the  door-step  with 
a  heavy  heart.  The  line  of  battle  had  been  pushed 
south,  and  he  was  completely  out  of  the  firing  line. 

His  bare  feet  and  legs  were  cold  in  the  biting 
November  air,  and  he  had  jolted  the  baby  until  he 
felt  there  were  no  more  jolts  left  in  him.  It  was, 
moreover,  a  terrifying  business  to  sit  there  and 
calmly  wait  his  fate. 

220 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  Them  's  them !  "  announced  Skeeter  Sheeley, 
racing  down  the  alley.  "  They  give  Mr.  Jires  some 
oranges.  If  they  give  you  one,  you  goin'  to  gimme 
half?" 

Chick  was  too  miserable  to  answer.  The  bars  of 
an  institution  seemed  to  be  already  closing  upon  him. 

Mrs.  Ivy,  holding  her  skirts  very  high  and  pick 
ing  her  way  gingerly  around  the  frozen  puddles, 
was  the  first  to  reach  him. 

"  Ah !  Here  's  our  good  little  friend  Rick,  or 
Dick,  is  it  ?  And  this  is  the  sweet  little  baby  sister 
that  God  sent  you." 

"Naw  it  ain't/'  said  Skeeter;  "that  there's  a 
boy,  an'  it  ain't  no  kin  to  him.  Its  paw  's  in  the 
pen,  an'  its  maw  's  up  fer  ninety  days,  an'  its  jes' 
boardin'  at  his  house." 

"  The  case  that  was  reported  for  the  Home," 
said  Mrs.  Ivy,  turning  with  a  significant  nod  to  her 
companion  who  had  just  come  up. 

At  the  word  "  home  "  Chick  shuddered.  It  was 
the  most  terrible  word  in  the  English  language  to 
him. 

"  What 's  the  matter  with  your  thumb,  old  fel 
low?"'  Miss  Lady  asked,  seeing  his  frightened  look. 
"  Come  here,  Skeeter,  and  tell  me  what  he  says." 

She  relieved  Chick  of  the  young  person  whose 
parents  were  not  in  a  position  to  minister  to  his 
wants,  and  sat  on  the  door-step  between  the  two 

221 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

boys,  listening  with  flattering  attention  to  a  detailed 
description  of  each  hero's  wounds  and  scars  and 
how  they  had  been  received. 

Mrs.  Ivy,  meanwhile,  a  veritable  spider  in  the 
midst  of  a  web  of  institutions,  was  warily  planning 
to  ensnare  every  helpless,  poverty-stricken  fly  that 
came  her  way.  To  her,  the  web  was  not  made  for 
the  fly,  but  the  fly  for  the  web ;  supplying  flies  was 
her  chief  occupation. 

Standing  just  inside  the  kitchen  door  with  her 
skirts  still  gathered  carefully  about  her.  she  viewed 
her  surroundings  with  mournful  sympathy. 

"  The  fact  are,"  Phineas  was  saying  as  he  held 
his  coat  together  at  the  collar,  in  a  pretended  effort 
to  conceal  his  lack  of  a  shirt,  "  that  we  ain't  been 
prosperin'  since  you  was  last  here.  Looks  like  the 
hand  of  the  Lord—" 

"  Ah,  Mr.  Flathers,"  remonstrated  Mrs.  Ivy,  with 
a  finger  on  her  lip,  "  never  forget  that  whom  He 
loveth  He  chasteneth." 

"  I  don't,  Mrs.  Ivy,  I  don't.  I  keep  that  in  mind. 
If  it  was  n't  fer  that,  Mrs.  Ivy,  I  declare  I  don't 
know  what  I  would  do.  Now  you  comin*  to-day 
was  a  answer  to  prayer !  I  just  ast  that  some  way 
would  be  pervided  'fore  the  rent  man  come  back  at 
six  o'clock.  I  did  n't  say  in  my  prayer  wliat  way, 
I  just  said  a  way,  that  a  way  would  be  pervided. 
And  when  I  seen  you  and  the  young  lady  turnin'  in 

222 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

the  alley,  I  sez  to  Maria,  '  never  try  to  shake  my 
faith  no  more,  the  clouds  has  been  lifted! ' 

Mrs.  Ivy,  who  was  much  more  given  to  dispens 
ing  morals  than  money,  shifted  her  position. 

"  Mr.  Flathers,"  she  said,  looking  at  him  with 
what  she  conceived  to  be  a  searching  glance,  "  do 
you  ever  drink  ?  " 

Assuring  himself  that  Chick  had  gotten  the  can 
quite  out  of  sight,  Phineas  looked  at  her  reproach 
fully: 

"Me?  Why,  Mrs.  Ivy,  I  thought  everybody 
knowed  that  since  I  joined  the  Church  —  of  course 
I  ain't  denying  that  there  was  a  time  when  I  knowed 
the  taste  of  liquor.  There  ain't  no  good  denying 
that,  and,  besides  confession  is  good  fer  me,  it 
humbles  my  spirit,  Mrs.  Ivy,  it  keeps  me  from  being 
a  publican." 

"And  tobacco?"  queried  Mrs.  Ivy.  "Liquor 
and  tobacco  go  hand  in  hand,  they  are  twin  evils. 
Are  you  addicted  to  the  use  of  tobacco? " 

"Not  me!"  said  Phineas,  truthfully  for  once. 
"  I  ain't  soiled  my  lips  with  a  seegar  for  over  twenty 
years,  and  you  could  n't  git  me  to  chew  if  you 
chloroformed  me.  Ef  liquor  is  the  drink,  terbaccer 
is  the  food  of  the  devil,  as  I  see  it." 

Mrs.  Ivy  beamed  upon  him,  as  she  opened  the 
silver  bag  at  her  belt.  "  I  shall  report  your  case  at 
our  next  meeting,"  she  said  with  enthusiasm.  "  I 

223 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

shall  quote  your  very  words.  And  now  I  am  going 
to  pin  this  little  badge  on  you,  this  little  white  badge 
that  tells  the  world  you  belong  to  the  Anti-Tobacco 
League.  You  have  the  honor  of  wearing  what  few 
of  our  greatest  statesmen  can  wear!  You  have 
proven  that  a  humble  laborer  can  lead  the  way  to 
Reform." 

Miss  Lady  appeared  at  this  point  with  the 
Boarder,  who  like  most  individuals  of  his  class, 
complained  continuously  of  the  quantity  and  quality 
of  his  food. 

"  You  find  us  in  a  bad  way,  Mis'  Squeerington," 
Phineas  said,  offering  her  a  bottomless  chair  with 
the  air  of  a  Christian  martyr.  "  If  my  sister  Myr- 
tella  knowed  the  half  of  what  we  was  passin' 
through  she  would  n't  continue  to  steel  her  heart 
against  us." 

"  Myrtella's  heart 's  all  right,"  said  Miss  Lady 
cheerfully;  "  she  takes  care  of  Chick,  does  n't  she?  " 

"  She  does,  mam,  in  a  way.  But  there  's  heavy 
expenses  on  a  pore  man  with  a  family.  Mrs. 
Flathers  now  ain't  been  able  to  have  a  see-ance  since 
before  the  baby  come.  She  did  give  one  trance 
settin'  yesterday,  but  she  says  she  don't  know 
what 's  got  into  her,  she  feels  so  sort  of  weak  like!  " 

"  How  long  has  she  been  taking  care  of  this  other 
baby?  "  Miss  Lady  asked. 

"  Most  ever  since  ours  come.  The  Juvenile  Court 
224 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

was  looking  round  fer  some  one  to  nurse  him  till 
his  maw  got  out  of  the  jail  hospital.  I  sez  to  Maria, 
*  Here  's  a  chanct  to  do  a  good  Christian  act  an' 
earn  a  honest  penny.  We  '11  take  it  in  an'  treat  it 
like  our  own,  sez  I,  an'  the  Lord  will  not  fergit  us, 
sez  I !  " 

The  Boarder,  taking  advantage  of  this  assurance 
of  hospitality,  set  up  such  a  peremptory  demand  for 
food,  that  Miss  Lady  was  compelled  to  walk  the 
floor  with  him. 

"  Where  is  Mrs.  Flathers?  "  she  asked  in  despair. 
"Can't  we  give  him  a  bottle  or  something?" 

Maria,  more  limp,  and  inanimate  than  usual,  came 
out  of  the  dim  interior  of  the  adjoining  room, 
carrying  a  yet  more  limp  and  inanimate  bundle 
which  she  exchanged  with  Miss  Lady  for  hers,  and 
silently  retired  into  the  inner  room  where  she  was 
followed  by  Mrs.  Ivy. 

"  An'  this  here  is  ours !  "  exclaimed  Phineas,  bend 
ing  with  sudden  enthusiasm  over  the  child  in  Miss 
Lady's  arms,  and  tenderly  lifting  the  shawl  from 
the  weazened  face  and  tiny  claw-like  hands.  "  This 
here  is  Loreny.  There  ain't  nary  one  of  the  rest 
of  'em  lived  over  two  weeks,  an'  this  here  one  is 
goin'  on  four.  Kinder  looks  like  we  're  goin'  to 
keep  her  with  us,  don't  it?  " 

Miss  Lady  could  find  no  answer.  The  white  lips 
and  the  blue  circles  about  the  small,  sunken  eyes, 

225 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

bespoke  the  same  disinclination  to  risk  life  under 
such  circumstances  as  had  been  shown  by  all  the 
other  little  Flatherses. 

"  Course  she  ain't  like  that  other  baby,"  Phineas 
went  on  with  genuine  earnestness,  "  but  then  he  's  a 
boy,  an'  eats  more.  She 's  goin'  to  git  fat  an' 
pretty,  ain't  you,  Loreny?  " 

He  put  his  coarse  brown  thumb  into  the  little 
hand  which  closed  about  it  and  clung  to  it,  and  sat 
watching  her,  unmindful  of  his  visitor. 

"  She  don't  look  what  you  'd  call  strong,"  he  went 
on,  anxiously,  "  but  you  would  n't  say  she  was  sick, 
would  you  ?  " 

"  I  am  afraid  I  should,"  Miss  Lady  said  gravely ; 
"  she  looks  very  sick  to  me." 

"She  does?  Then  I'd  better  git  the  doctor," 
Phineas  rose  hurriedly,  then  sat  down  again.  "  But 
he  never  done  the  others  no  good.  Maria  always 
contended  it  was  him  that  killed  'em.  Ain't  there 
somethin'  we  kin  do?  Don't  you  know  somethin'  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  think  I  do,  only  you  may  not  be  willing 
to  do  it." 

"  You  try  me.  I  '11  do  anything  you  say,  Miss. 
If  the  Lord  will  only  spare  her  — 

"  It 's  not  the  Lord  that 's  taking  her,"  Mis*  Lady 
cried  impatiently,  "  it 's  you  that  are  s;endj,ng  her, 
Mr.  Flathers.  Can't  you  see  that  you  are  killing 
your  baby?  " 

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A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

He  looked  at  her  in  amazed  horror. 

"  Yes,  you  are !  "  went  on  Miss  Lady  fiercely, 
"  you  are  selling  her  food  to  another  baby ;  you  are 
letting  her  mother  work  so  hard  that  she  can  scarcely 
nourish  herself.  Just  look  at  Mrs.  Flathers !  Any 
body  can  see  that  if  she  had  better  food  and  less  to 
do  she  'd  be  a  different  person." 

"  Oh,  Maria  was  real  pretty  onct,"  Phineas  said 
somewhat  resentfully,  "  but  when  a  man  marries 
one  of  them  slim  little  blondes  he  never  knows  what 
he  's  gittin'.  They  sort  of  shrink  up  on  yer  an'  git 
faded  an'  stringy." 

"  Yes,  but  think  what  she  got,"  said  Miss  Lady 
determined  to  press  the  matter  home.  "  Myrtella 
says  you  were  a  strong,  handsome  young  man,  who 
could  have  turned  your  hand  to  almost  anything,  and 
look  at  you  now!  A  broken-down  loafer,  sitting 
around  the  saloons,  talking  religion  while  your  baby 
starves.  I  don't  wonder  Myrtella  is  ashamed  of 
you,  I  am  ashamed  of  you,  and  if  this  poor  little  girl 
ever  lives  to  grow  up,  she  will  be  ashamed  of  you, 
too!" 

"  No,  no,"  cried  Phineas  brokenly,  his  head  in 
his  hands,  "  she  won't  be  that  —  if  the  Lord, — 
I  mean  if  she  lives,  I  '11  be  a  better  man,  Mis'  Squeer- 
ington,  indeed  I  will.  Nobody  ever  will  know  in 
the  world  how  much  I  want  children  of  my  own. 
That 's  why  I  'dopted  Chick  —  that 's  one  reason  I 

227 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

took  in  this  new  one.     Seemed  like  as  if  my  baby 


went  — " 


"  We  '11  try  to  keep  her,"  Miss  Lady  said  with  a 
rush  of  sympathy.  "  I  '11  do  everything  I  can  but 
you  must  help,  Mr.  Flathers.  You  are  willing  to 
do  your  part,  are  n't  you  ?  " 

His  emotions,  used  to  responding  to  false  stimu 
lants,  being  now  appealed  to  by  the  one  genuine 
feeling  in  him,  threatened  to  become  uncontrolled. 

"  There,  there!  "  Miss  Lady  said,  "  if  you  really 
want  to  save  her,  I  think  there  's  a  way." 

"  Not  a  Orphan's  Home?  "  asked  Phineas,  lifting 
one  eye  from  the  baby's  petticoat  where  his  head 
had  been  buried. 

"  No,  a  clean  home  of  her  own.  There  's  no 
reason  why  you  should  n't  go  to  work,  Mr.  Flathers, 
and  support  your  family  decently.  I  '11  take  Chick 
home  with  me.  Myrtella  will  be  glad  to  have  him 
for  a  little  visit.  Mrs.  Ivy  is  going  to  send  the  other 
baby  to  the  Foundling's  Home.  Then  you  '11  only 
have  to  look  after  Mrs.  Flathers  and  the  baby;  you 
surely  can  do  that,  can't  you  ?  " 

:'  Yes  'm,  I  kin  do  that.  'Course  any  man  kin 
do  that.  But  I  been  out  of  a  regular  job  so  long, 
you  'd  sorter  help  me  find  something  to  start 
on?" 

"  I  '11  get  you  something  to  do,  if  you  will  only 
stick  to  it.  Perhaps  Mrs.  Sequin  can  give  you  work 

228 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL) 

at  her  new  house.  She  gave  our  old  colored  man, 
Uncle  Jimpson,  a  place." 

"  Jes'  so  it  ain't  garden  work,  nor  gittin'  up  coal, 
nor  nothin'  that  brings  on  rheumatism." 

"  Have  you  rheumatism  ?  " 

"  No,  mam,  Praise  God !  I  have  escaped  this  far 
by  bein'  kereful.  You  know  what  it  means,  Mis' 
Squeerington,  when  a  man  with  a  family  gits  down 
with  the  rheumatism.  There  's  Jires,  now  — " 

"  Yes,  and  Mr.  Jires  does  more  for  his  family 
lying  flat  on  his  back  than  you  do  for  yours,  up  and 
walking  around !  You  're  not  fooling  me  one  bit, 
Mr.  Flathers,  and  there  's  no  use  trying  to  fool  your 
self.  You  either  mean  seriously  to  go  to  work  or 
you  don't.  Which  is  it?" 

Phineas  Flathers'  strong  impulse  was  to  flee  the 
scene.  He  saw  his  liberty  vanishing  before  the 
awful  prospect  held  out  by  this  pretty  young  lady 
who  could  be  so  sympathetic  one  moment  and  so 
stern  the  next.  But  the  tiny  claw-like  fingers  of 
Loreny  held  him  fast.  He  looked  at  his  imprisoned 
thumb  and  smiled  tenderly.  Then  he  faced  Miss 
Lady  squarely  for  the  first  time. 

"  You  help  me.  git  a  job,  Miss,  an'  I  '11  promise 
to  take  keer  of  this  here  baby." 

"  What  you  need,"  came  the  murmur  of  Mrs. 
Ivy's  voice  from  the  next  room,  where  she  was 
taking  leave  of  Maria  Flathers,  "  is  more  beauty  in 

229 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

your  home,  something  to  uplift  you  and  inspire  you. 
I  am  going  to  send  you  one  of  our  traveling  art 
galleries,  you  may  keep  the  pictures  a  whole  week, 
long  enough  to  learn  the  titles  and  the  names  of  the 
painters.  Just  think  what  it  will  mean  to  lift  your 
tired  eyes  to  a  beautiful,  serene  Madonna!  And 
could  n't  you  have  more  color  in  your  home  ?  We 
find  color  so  stimulating.  Scarlet  geraniums  for 
instance.  Would  n't  you  like  some  scarlet  gerani 
ums?" 

"  I  dunno  where  we  'd  put  'em  at,"  Maria  said 
wearily,  shifting  the  weight  of  the  Boarder  to  her 
other  arm.  Then  her  face  hardened  suddenly,  and 
she  wheeled  into  the  kitchen. 

"  Flathers,"  she  said,  "  it 's  him  coming  round 
the  house  now.  He  said  he  'd  be  back  before  six, 
an'  would  n't  stand  no  foolin'.  What  you  goin'  to 
do,  Flathers?" 

Before  Miss  Lady  and  Mrs.  Ivy  could  make  their 
exit,  the  way  was  blocked  by  a  heavy-set,  muscular, 
one-eyed  man  who  placed  a  hand  on  either  side  of 
the  door  jamb  and  unnecessarily  announced  that 
there  he  was.  Frantic  efforts  on  the  part  of 
Phineas  to  signify  to  the  newcomer  by  winks  and 
gestures,  that  the  presence  of  guests  would  prevent 
his  talking  business,  were  without  effect. 

"  You  ladies  '11  have  to  excuse  me,"  said  the  in 
truder  cheerfully,  "  but  I  can't  fool  with  this  bunch 

230 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

no  longer.  It 's  pay,  or  git  out,  this  time  and  no 
mistake." 

Maria  began  to  cry,  and  forgot  to  jolt  the 
Boarder,  and  the  Boarder  who  insisted  upon  being 
jolted  every  instant  he  was  not  sleeping  or  eating, 
began  to  cry  also.  Whereupon  Loreny,  who  had 
been  laid  upon  the  kitchen  table,  heard  the  noise  and 
felt  called  upon  to  add  her  voice  to  the  chorus. 

By  this  time  Chick  and  his  colleagues,  scenting 
excitement  from  afar,  had  followed  its  trail  and  now 
presented  themselves  breathless  and  interested  to 
await  developments.  "  Puttin'  out  "  was  not  a  par 
ticular  novelty  in  Bean  Alley,  but  the  presence  of 
guests  added  a  picturesque  feature. 

"  If  you  can  wait  a  week  longer,"  said  Phineas 
with  some  attempt  at  dignity,  "  I  '11  be  in  a  position 
to  settle  up  to  date.  I  'm  expectin'  to  git  a  job  — " 

At  this  the  rent  man  threw  back  his  head  and 
laughed,  and  the  youngsters  back  of  him  laughed, 
and  even  the  Boarder  stopped  crying  a  moment  to 
see  what  had  happened. 

"  But  he  really  is,"  insisted  Miss  Lady,  coming 
to  Phineas'  assistance.  "  He  's  going  to  work  the 
first  of  the  week.  Surely  you  can  wait  a  week 
longer." 

"  I  can,  Miss !  "  said  the  man  in  the  door,  gal 
lantly.  "  I  been  waiting  a  week  longer  on  Flathers 
for  more  'n  two  months.  There  ain't  absolutely  no 

231 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

use  in  arguing  the  matter  further.     It 's  pay  up,  or 
git  out,  to-day" 

"  Well,  if  this  ain't  the  limit !  "  said  Phineas,  with 
the  air  of  one  who  had  reached  it  many  times  before, 
but  never  such  a  limitless  limit  as  this. 

"  But  if  we  pay  this  month's  rent  for  him,  can't 
you  let  him  make  up  the  back  rent  later  ?  "  argued 
Miss  Lady,  trying  to  comfort  Maria  who  threatened 
to  become  hysterical. 

"  When  you  've  known  Flathers  as  long  as  I  have, 
you  won't  talk  about  him  paying  up." 

"  But  you  can't  put  them  out  like  this,  with  that 
little  baby  and  no  place  to  go !  " 

''  There 's  the  Charity  Organization,  and  the 
Alms  House,"  suggested  Mrs.  Ivy,  wiping  her  eyes 
through  sympathy. 

"  I  'd  hate  to  drive  'em  to  that,"  said  the  man 
doggedly,  "  but  I  got  my  own  family  to  consider, 
and  I  ain't  what  I  once  was,  since  I  lost  my  eye." 

"Poor  man,"  sighed  Mrs.  Ivy;  "how  fortunate 
it  was  the  left  one !  How  did  it  happen?  " 

"  Shot  out,"  said  the  man,  nothing  loath  to  enter 
into  particulars.  "  In  a  scrap  between  a  pair  of 
young  swells  that  was  hangin'  round  my  place. 
Shot  out  in  cold  blood  when  I  was  n't  lookin'." 

"But,  my  good  man,  didn't  you  prosecute?" 
asked  Mrs.  Ivy.  "  You  know  we  have  a  Legal  Aid 
Society  for  just  such  cases  as  yours." 

232 


Maria  began  to  cry,  and  forgot  to  jolt  the  Boarder. 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  Yes  'm,  but  one  of  the  young  gentlemen  skipped 
the  country,  lit  out  fer  foreign  parts,  took  to  the  tall 
timber,  as  you  might  say." 

"  But  he  was  not  the  one  who  did  the  shooting, 
was  he  ?  "  asked  Miss  Lady,  a  sudden  bright  spot 
on  either  cheek,  and  the  steady  determination  in  her 
eye  that  had  been  Flathers'  undoing. 

"  I  ain't  never  been  able  to  say  which  one  done  it," 
said  the  man,  faltering  under  her  steady  gaze. 

"  Perhaps  it  was  worth  your  while  not  to  say  ?  " 

The  man  shot  a  quick  glance  of  suspicion  at  her, 
then  his  eye  came  back  to  Phineas. 

"Of  course,  I  don't  want  to  push  him  into  the 
Poor  House,  and  if  he  expects  to  get  work — " 

"  I  do,  Dick,"  said  Phineas  fervently.  "  Mon 
day  morning  I  put  my  shoulder-blade  to  the  wheel 
somewhere." 

"  Well,  if  the  ladies  '11  stand  for  this  month,"  said 
the  man,  evidently  anxious  to  get  away,  "  I  '11  wait 
a  week  longer  on  the  back  rent." 

Miss  Lady  was  preoccupied  and  silent  on  the  way 
home.  The  world  sometimes  seemed  desperately 
sordid,  and  human  nature  a  baffling  proposition. 

At  her  gate  Mrs.  Ivy  halted  suddenly :  "  Do  you 
know,"  she  said,  "  it  has  just  occurred  to  me !  I 
should  n't  be  one  bit  surprised  if  that  horrid  one- 
eyed  man  was  the  very  one  Mr.  Morley  shot !  " 


235 


CHAPTER  XVI 

CHRISTMAS  night  on  Billy-goat  Hill,  and 
twinkling  lights,  beginning  with  candles  set 
in  bottles  in  the  humblest  cottages  in  Bean  Alley, 
dotted  the  hillside  here  and  there,  until  they  all 
seemed  to  converge  at  one  brilliant  spot  on  the  sum 
mit,  where  a  veritable  halo  of  light  hung  above  the 
hilltop. 

For  Angora  Heights  was  having  a  house-warm 
ing,  and  never  since  old  Bob  Carsey  brought  home 
his  young  bride  from  Alabama,  had  such  prepara 
tions  been  known  for  a  social  function.  All  the 
carriages  in  the  neighborhood  had  been  pressed  into 
service,  and  a  half  dozen  motors  had  been  sent  out 
from  town  to  convey  the  guests  from  the  station  to 
the  house. 

Within  the  mansion  everything  was  magnificently 
new.  Period  rooms,  carried  out  with  conscientious 
accuracy,  opened  into  each  other  through  arcaded 
doorways.  Massive  gilt  mirrors  accentuated  the 
wide  spaces  of  the  hall,  and  repeated  the  lights  of 
innumerable  chandeliers.  If  a  stray  memory  or  an 
old  association  had  by  any  chance  crept  into  the 

236 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Christmas  ball,  it  would  have  found  no  familiar 
object  on  which  to  dwell.  The  atmosphere  was  as 
formal  and  impersonal  as  that  of  a  museum. 

In  the  middle  of  the  drawing-room,  like  a  general 
issuing  last  orders  before  a  battle,  stood  Mrs.  Se 
quin,  her  ample  figure  encased  in  an  armor  of  glis 
tening  black  spangles,  and  her  elaborately  puffed 
coiffure  surmounted  by  an  incipient  helmet  of  blaz 
ing  gems. 

"  Pull  those  portieres  back  a  trifle,"  she  com 
manded,  "  and  lower  that  window  from  the  top. 
Has  Jimpson  gone  to  the  station  for  the  Queer- 
ingtons?  " 

"  Yes,  madam,  half  an  hour  ago,"  answered  the 
maid. 

"  The  moment  he  returns  tell  him  that  he  is  to 
take  the  small  wagon  and  go  back  to  the  station  at 
ten  o'clock.  The  caterer  has  just  'phoned  that  he 
is  sending  the  extra  ices  out  on  the  last  train,  but 
that  he  cannot  send  another  waiter.  Jenkins,  leav 
ing  the  way  he  did,  has  upset  everything.  I  sup 
pose  it  is  too  late  to  get  anybody  now;  the  special 
car  gets  here  at  nine.  What  is  that  noise?  It 
sounds  like  some  one  singing  in  the  dining-room." 

"  It 's  the  new  furnaceman,  madam,  that  Mrs. 
Queerington  sent.  It  looks  like  he  can't  keep  him 
self  quiet." 

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A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  I  '11  quiet  him!  "  said  Mrs.  Sequin,  who  was  as 
near  irritation  as  full  dress  would  permit. 

Phineas  Flathers,  having  replenished  the  fire,  was 
pausing  a  moment  to  admire  himself  in  the  Dutch 
mirror  above  the  mantel  when  Mrs.  Sequin  startled 
him  by  inquiring  peremptorily  if  he  was  the  new 
man. 

"  I  am,"  said  Phineas  with  pronounced  deference, 
"  the  new  man  and  a  new  man.  Regenerated,  born 
again,  mam,  the  spirit  of  evil  having  departed  from 
me." 

Mrs.  Sequin  gasped.     "  What  is  your  name?  " 

"  Flathers,  mam." 

"  Dreadful!     I  will  call  you  Benson." 

"  Benson  it  is.  Better  men  than  me  have  changed 
their  names.  There  was  Saul  now,  Saul  of 
Tarsus  — " 

"  Turn  the  drafts  off  in  the  furnace  and  don't 
come  up-stairs  again  on  any  account.  But  no, — 
wait  a  moment."  Mrs.  Sequin's  keen  eye  swept 
him  from  head  to  foot.  "  Have  you  ever  had  any 
experience  in  serving?  " 

Phineas,  whose  only  claim  to  serving  was  that 
"  they  also  serve  who  only  stand  and  wait,"  dropped 
his  eyes. 

"  Only  the  communion,  mam,  and  the  collection. 
But  I  ain't  above  lending  a  hand,  mam.  You  'd  do 
as  much  for  me.  I  was  just  saying  to  the  lady  in 

238 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILU 

the  kitchen,  that  anybody  was  fortunate  to  work  for 
a  person  with  as  generous  a  face  as  yours." 

"  Clean  yourself  up,  and  put  on  Jenkins'  coat, 
and  if  another  waiter  is  absolutely  necessary,  they 
can  call  on  you,"  directed  Mrs.  Sequin  hurriedly, 
then  calling  to  the  maid,  "  Has  Miss  Margery  come 
down  yet  ?  " 

"  She  's  in  the  library,  mam." 

Margery,  pale  and  listless,  turned  from  the  win 
dow  as  her  mother  entered. 

"  I  was  just  watching  for  Miss  Lady,"  she  said ; 
"  it  will  be  rather  amusing  to  see  her  and  Connie  at 
their  first  big  party." 

"  I  hope  she  won't  wear  that  childish  dress  she  was 
married  in.  It  is  all  right  for  Connie  to  affect 
white  muslin  and  blue  ribbons,  but  Cousin  John's 
wife  ought  to  wear  something  that  makes  her  look 
older.  Why,  with  that  short  gown,  and  the  way 
she  wears  her  hair,  she  looks  like  a  schoolgirl ! " 

"  She  looks  very  beautiful." 

"Of  course  she  does,  but  what  good  does  it  do 
her?  Here  at  the  end  of  four  months  she  has  made 
practically  no  headway.  Not  that  she  didn't  have 
every  opportunity !  People  were  quite  ready  to  take 
her  up,  but  she  simply  would  n't  let  them.  What 
can  you  expect  of  a  person  who  says  that  bridge 
and  boned  gowns  make  her  back  ache?  She  has  n't 
an  idea  in  her  head  beyond  the  Doctor,  the  children 

239 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

and  a  lot  of  paupers.  I  must  say  I  am  terribly  dis 
appointed  in  her.  But  then  I  ought  to  be  used  to 
disappointments  by  this  time.  What  will  she  be 
when  she  's  middle-aged  ?  " 

"  She  '11  never  be  middle-aged,"  Margery  smiled ; 
"  she  '11  go  on  being  young  and  making  people 
around  her  feel  young.  Father  says  she  is  the  only 
person  he  knows  who  makes  him  forget  his  age. 
By  the  way,  where  is  Father?  " 

"  Delayed  in  town  as  usual.  He  '11  probably 
motor  out  when  the  evening  is  half  over  and  be  too 
tired  to  be  polite.  I  've  never  seen  him  so  upset. 
Of  course  it 's  your  broken  engagement.  He  says 
we  may  have  to  close  the  house,  now  that  we  've 
gotten  into  it,  and  go  abroad  to  reduce  expenses,  but 
of  course  that's  ridiculous!  That  reminds  me,  did 
the  Hortons  send  regrets?  " 

"  She  did,"  said  Margery  absently. 

"  Oh,  dear,  that  means  he  '11  be  here !  He  's  so 
horribly  fastidious,  he 's  sure  to  make  remarks 
about  my  putting  an  Italian  loggia  on  a  Louis  XVI 
drawing-room.  It  does  seem  that  with  all  the  time 
and  money  we  've  spent  on  this  place  —  Is  n't  that 
the  carriage?  " 

"  Yes,  I  hear  Miss  Lady  laughing." 

As  the  front  door  swung  open  two  bundled-up 
figures  hurried  into  the  hall,  bringing  a  gust  of  youth 
and  merriment  along  with  the  keen  night  air. 

240 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  I  hope  we  are  the  first  guests,"  cried  Miss  Lady, 
shaking  a  scarf  from  her  head,  "  because  we  have 
had  an  accident.  We  both  fell  down.  Connie 
slipped  on  the  step  and  I  sat  down  on  top  of  her. 
There  was  an  awful  rip  and  we  don't  know  whose 
it  is !  I  'm  afraid  to  take  my  coat  off !  " 

"But  where  is  the  Doctor?"  cried  Mrs.  Sequin 
in  dismay. 

"  Father  would  love  to  have  come,"  began  Connie 
glibly,  but  Miss  Lady  broke  in : 

"  I  don't  think  he  really  wanted  to  come,  Mrs. 
Sequin.  He  said  he  would  be  ever  so  much  hap 
pier  up  in  his  study,  playing  pinocle,  than  sitting 
out  here  in  a  straight-back  gilt  chair  eating  ice 
cream.  Perhaps  you  think  I  ought  n't  to  have  come 
without  him?  " 

"  Nonsense !  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Sequin.  "  I  get 
perfectly  exasperated  when  Cousin  John  does  this 
way.  There  were  at  least  a  half  dozen  people  I  'd 
promised  to  introduce  to  him.  If  he  had  no  con 
sideration  for  me  he  ought  to  have  for  you.  He 
has  been  keeping  you  at  home  entirely  too  much. 
He  forgets  that  you  are  twenty  years  his  junior; 
he  expects  you  to  act  as  if  you  were  forty." 

"No,  he  doesn't,"  protested  Miss  Lady  loyally; 
"  the  Doctor  never  expects  anything  of  anybody 
that  is  n't  right.  He  urged  me  to  come,  did  n't  he, 
Connie?" 

241 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

But  Connie  was  absorbed  in  a  trailing  flounce  that 
hung  limply  about  her  feet. 

"  Look !  "  she  cried  tragically ;  "  it 's  torn  clear 
across  the  front.  What  shall  I  do?" 

"  Margery's  gowns  would  all  be  too  long  for 
you,"  said  Mrs.  Sequin,  viewing  the  rent  through 
her  lorgnette,  "  perhaps  Marie  can  do  something 
with  this." 

"  I  won't  wear  it  all  tacked  up !  "  cried  Connie  on 
the  verge  of  tears ;  "  I  '11  go  home  first  — " 

"  No,  you  won't,"  said  Miss  Lady ;  "  this  is  your 
first  grown-up  party  and  you  've  been  counting  on 
it  for  weeks.  You  are  going  to  change  dresses  with 
me.  I  don't  mind  a  bit  being  hiked  up  a  little,  and, 
besides,  nobody  's  going  to  notice  me." 

"  That 's  perfectly  absurd !  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Se 
quin  indignantly;  "you  must  remember  who  you 
are,  and  that  everybody  is  noticing  you.  Why  can't 
you  wear  one  of  Margery's  dresses,  and  let  Connie 
have  yours  ?  " 

"  All  right,  I  '11  wear  anything  you  say.  Don't 
you  dare  cry,  Connie!  I'll  never  forgive  you  if 
you  make  your  nose  red.  Listen!  The  musicians 
are  tuning  up!  May  I  have  the  first  waltz, 
madam?"  and  seizing  Mrs.  Sequin  by  her  plump 
gloved  hands,  she  danced  that  august  person  down 
the  long  hall. 

242 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  Let  me  go,  you  ridiculous  child,"  laughed  Mrs. 
Sequin,  hurrying  her  up  the  steps ;  "  the  motors  are 
coming  up  the  hill  now.  Make  her  look  as  pretty 
as  you  can,  Marie,  and  hurry !  " 

At  a  distance  the  brilliant,  moving  lights  of  auto 
mobiles  and  the  dimmer  ones  of  carriages  could  be 
seen  approaching,  and  very  soon  under  the  blaze  of 
the  porch  lights,  hurrying  figures  in  furs,  rustling 
satin,  and  soft  velvets  were  being  ushered  formally 
into  the  big  reception  hall. 

Mrs.  Sequin,  mounted  on  her  highest  social  stilts, 
stood  with  Margery  in  the  alcove,  so  carefully 
planned  for  another  occasion.  A  ball  to  be  sure 
was  a  poor  substitute  for  a  wedding,  but  Mrs.  Se 
quin  was  not  one  to  waste  her  energies  on  vain  re 
gret.  The  ball  was  going  to  be  a  success;  already 
the  rooms  were  filling  rapidly  with  the  people  Mrs. 
Sequin  most  desired  to  see.  Old  Mrs.  Marchmont 
had  risen  from  a  sick  bed  to  drive  out  from  town 
and  bare  her  ancient  bones  in  honor  of  the  occasion. 
Mrs.  Bartrum  had  taken  possession  of  the  most  be 
coming  corner  in  the  library  and  was  holding  gay 
court  there ;  the  young  people  were  thronging  from 
one  room  to  another;  everybody  was  laughing  and 
chatting  and  exclaiming  over  the  charms  of  the  new 
house.  In  fact  the  complacency  of  the  hostess  over 
her  achievement  was  only  surpassed  by  the  curiosity 

243 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

of  the  guests  who  were  confirming  with  their  own 
eyes  the  wild  rumors  which  had  been  current  of  the 
Sequins'  extravagance. 

Mr.  Horton,  the  local  architect  who  had  not  been 
considered  of  sufficient  renown  to  make  the  plans 
for  the  house,  wandered  from  room  to  room  on  a 
quiet  tour  of  inspection.  Mrs.  Sequin's  fears  of  his 
judgment  were  not  without  cause,  for  Mr.  Horton 
was  one  of  those  critics  whose  advice  one  always 
ignores  but  whose  approval  one  ardently  desires. 
He  was  a  trim,  immaculate  person  with  short, 
pointed  beard,  and  narrow,  critical  eyes  that  always 
seemed  to  be  taking  measurements.  Passing  from 
the  Dutch  dining-room,  with  its  blue  tile,  and  old 
pewter,  he  paused  in  the  doorway  of  the  drawing- 
room  where  the  dancing  had  already  begun.  His 
glance,  taking  in  everything  from  the  gilded  fluting 
of  the  panels  to  the  bronze  heads  on  the  upright 
lines  of  the  marble  mantels,  rested  at  last  upon  an 
object  which  evidently  gave  his  critical  taste  com 
plete  satisfaction. 

A  young  girl  had  paused  near  him  and  was  ea 
gerly  watching  the  dancers.  She  presented  a  har 
mony  in  green  and  gold,  from  her  shining  hair 
caught  in  a  loose  coil  low  on  her  neck,  to  her  small 
gold  slippers  that  tapped  time  to  the  music.  The 
clinging  gown  of  pale  green  that  fell  in  loose  lines 
from  her  shoulders  was  veiled  in  deep-toned  lace, 

244 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

revealing  her  round  white  throat  and  long  shapely 
arms,  bare  from  shoulder  to  finger  tips.  Horton 
smiled  unconsciously  as  he  watched  her  eager,  re 
sponsive  face,  and  felt  the  suppressed  vitality  in 
every  movement  of  her  slender  body. 

"  Who  is  she?  "  he  asked  of  Cropsie  Decker,  who 
stood  near. 

"Who's  who?" 

"  That  radiant  young  thing  in  green.  She 
does  n't  belong  in  a  ballroom,  she  belongs  in  a  for 
est  with  ivy  leaves  in  her  hair.  By  Jove,  look  at 
the  lines  of  her,  and  the  freedom  of  her  movements. 
I  have  n't  seen  such  arms  in  years !  " 

Cropsie  followed  his  glance :  "  Oh,  that ' s  the 
new  Mrs.  Queerington, —  the  wife  of  John  Jay,  you 
know." 

"  But  I  mean  the  young  girl  going  through  the 
door  there,  with  the  wonderful  hair,  and  the 
profile?" 

"  That 's  Mrs.  Queerington.  Is  n't  she  a  stun 
ner  ?  Everybody 's  talking  about  her  to-night. 
I  '11  introduce  you  if  you  like." 

Horton  followed  him  around  the  outer  edge  of 
the  dancers,  still  confident  that  Cropsie  had  made 
a  mistake.  But  when  he  was  duly  presented  there 
was  no  longer  room  for  doubt. 

"  I  hope  I  'm  not  too  late  to  claim  a  dance,"  he 
said.  "  I  always  make  it  a  point  to  dance  but  once 

245 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

during  an  evening,  and  that  with  the  most  beautiful 
woman  on  the  floor.  I  hope  you  are  n't  going  to 
let  these  young  sharks  cut  me  out  of  my  dance?  " 

Miss  Lady  lifted  a  pair  of  sparkling,  excited  eyes 
to  his.  From  the  moment  when  she  had  appeared, 
half  timidly  in  her  borrowed  feathers  and  taken 
refuge  under  Mrs.  Sequin's  experienced  wing,  she 
had  been  the  sensation  of  the  evening.  Adroitly 
conveyed  from  one  group  to  another  she  had  left 
enthusiasm  in  her  wake.  She  was  evidently  enjoy 
ing  to  the  utmost  the  novelty  of  receiving  homage 
from  one  black-coated  courtier  after  another,  and  of 
hearing  delightful  things  about  herself.  The  only 
apparent  drawback  to  her  pleasure  was  when  she 
was  compelled  to  say  as  she  did  now : 

!<  Thank  you  ever  so  much,  but  I  'm  not  dancing." 
"Not  dancing?"  repeated  Mr.  Horton,  not  un 
mindful  of  the  whiteness  of  her  shoulders  against 
the    dark    marble    of    a    neighboring    pedestal, — 
"Why  not?" 

"  The  Doctor  and  I  have  given  up  dancing." 
"Oh,  so  he  doesn't  allow  you  to  dance?" 
"  Allow  me?  "  she  lifted  her  level  brows,  smiling. 
"  He  simply  does  n't  care  for  it." 
"  And  you  don't  care  for  it  either?  " 
"  Oh,  yes,  I  do,  I  care  for  it  too  much.     That 's 
why  I  'm  not  dancing." 

"  But  you  are  dancing.     You  've  been  dancing 
246 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

ever  since  you  came  in.  I  've  watched  you. 
Might  n't  you  just  as  well  be  dancing  with  me,  as 
dancing  by  yourself?  " 

She  laughed  and  shook  her  head,  but  her  foot 
continued  to  pat  the  time,  and  her  eyes  followed  the 
swaying  couples  that  swung  past. 

"What's  the  Doctor's  objection?"  Mr.  Horton 
urged. 

"  He  thinks  it 's  undignified  for  married  .women 
to  dance,  and  I  guess  I  do,  too,  only — "  Miss  Lady 
sighed, — "  you  see,  I  keep  forgetting  that  I  aw  a 
married  woman !  " 

"  You  certainly  make  other  people  want  to  for 
get  it,"  then  his  eyes  dropped  before  the  childlike 
candor  of  her  gaze.  "  Come  now,  Mrs.  Queer- 
ington,  are  n't  you  taking  matrimony  a  little  seri 
ously?" 

"  Perhaps  I  am,  but  I  'm  new,  you  know,  and 
I  Ve  an  awful  lot  to  learn." 

"  Has  n't  it  ever  occurred  to  you  that  the  Doctor 
might  have  something  to  learn?  " 

"  No,"  she  said  brightly,  "  he  knows  everything. 
I  sometimes  wish  he  did  n't.  I  'd  be  proud  if  I 
could  teach  him  even  that  much !  "  and  she  meas 
ured  off  the  amount  on  the  tip  of  her  little  finger. 

"  Perhaps  he  is  n't  as  good  a  pupil  as  you  are. 
You  should  take  him  to  see  '  Harnessing  a  Hus 
band,'  at  the  Ardmore  this  week." 

247 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"A  play?  I'd  love  to  go  to  the  theater  just 
once." 

"You've  never  been?  How  extraordinary! 
Come  \vith  Mrs.  Horton  and  me  on  Friday  night 
and  let  us  share  your  first  thrill." 

"  May  I  ?  "  Miss  Lady  began  eagerly,  then  check 
ing  herself,  "  I  'm  afraid  the  Doctor  does  n't  care 
much  about  the  modern  stage.  He  used  to  enjoy 
seeing  the  great  actors,  but  he  says  the  plays  they 
put  on  riow  bore  him  fearfully.  May  n't  we  come 
to  call  sometime  instead?  " 

"  As  you  like,"  said  Mr.  Horton,  shrugging,  "  but 
I  hope  you  realize  that  you  are  spoiling  that  learned 
husband  of  yours.  Instead  of  adapting  yourself 
to  him,  make  him  adapt  himself  to  you.  Come  now, 
isn't  it  about  time  for  you  to  reform?  Why  not 
begin  by  finishing  this  dance  with  me?  " 

Still  she  laughed  and  shook  her  head.  "  It  is  n't 
that  I  don't  want  to !  I  'd  rather  dance  than  do 
anything  in  the  world  —  except  ride  horseback." 

"  I  might  have  known  you  were  a  horsewoman. 
Do  you  ride  much  ?  " 

"  Not  now." 

"  The  Doctor  does  n't  care  for  it,  I  suppose  ?  " 

She  flashed  a  questioning  glance  at  him,  then  she 
looked  away: 

"  No,"  she  said,  "  he  does  n't  care  for  it." 

Cropsie  Decker,  who  had  been  hovering  in  her 
248 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

vicinity,  now  came  up  and  claimed  the  next  num 
ber. 

"  There  's  a  bully  little  corner  in  the  conservatory 
where  we  can  sit  out  this  waltz.  You  won't  mind 
if  I  carry  her  off,  Mr.  Horton?  " 

"  Not  if  she  takes  to  heart  some  of  the  wise  things 
I  've  been  telling  her,"  said  Horton,  looking  at  her 
through  his  narrow  eyes  and  pulling  at  his  small, 
fair  mustache.  "  Au  revoir,  Madame  Beaux 
Yeux!" 

Miss  Lady  did  not  move  from  the  spot  where  he 
left  her.  Out  under  the  palms  in  the  hall,  the 
orchestra  was  beginning  one  of  Strauss'  most  dis 
tracting  waltzes ;  her  ringers  tapped  the  time.  Sud 
denly  she  held  out  her  hand  to  Cropsie. 

"  I  can't  stand  it  another  minute !  I  've  got  to 
dance  once  if  I  never  dance  again !  " 

Every  eye  in  the  ballroom  followed  the  slender 
figure,  as  it  circled  in  and  out  among  the  throng. 
Miss  Lady  danced  with  the  grace  and  abandonment 
of  a  child.  She  had  given  herself  utterly  to  the  joy 
of  the  moment.  She  was  letting  herself  go  for  the 
first  time  since  her  marriage,  following  the  glad 
impulse  of  her  heart,  and  dancing  as  a  Bacchante 
might  have  danced  alone  on  a  moonlight  night  in 
some  forest  glade. 

When  at  last  the  music  stopped  Cropsie  drew  her 
into  the  conservatory. 

16  249 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"Here,  come  around  this  palm,  quick!  They'll 
all  be  after  you  for  the  next  dance.  Gerald  Ivy  is 
charging  around  now  looking  for  you,  and  so  is 
Mr.  Horton.  Sit  there  in  the  window  and  cool 
off!" 

She  sank  laughing  and  breathless  on  the  window 
sill.  All  the  exhilaration  of  the  dance  was  in  her 
eyes,  her  lips  were  parted,  her  cheeks  flushed,  and 
a  strand  of  loosened  hair  fell  across  her  shoulder. 

It  was  at  this  moment  that  wheels  sounded  on  the 
driveway  below,  caused  her  to  lean  idly  out  to  see 
who  was  coming.  A  wagon  stopped  at  the  side  en 
trance,  and  a  man  alighted.  Uncle  Jimpson's  voice 
was  heard  asking  a  question,  then  came  the  other 
man's  voice,  in  quick,  incisive  answer. 

Miss  Lady,  sitting  motionless,  looking  down, 
turned  suddenly  from  the  window.  The  color  had 
left  her  face  and  her  hand  trembled  visibly  against 
the  curtain. 

"  What 's  the  matter?  "  cried  Cropsie;  "  are  you 
ill?  Did  you  dance  too  long?  " 

"  It 's  nothing,  I  'm  all  right.  That  is  I  will 
be—" 

"  Can't  I  get  you  some  water,  or  an  ice,  or  call 
Mrs.  Sequin?  " 

"  No,  no,  please !  It 's  nothing.  I  '11  slip  off  to 
the  dressing-room  until  I  feel  better.  I  can  go 
through  here  up  the  side  stairs." 

250 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  Wait,  I  '11  go  with  you.  You  are  as  white  as 
if  you  'd  seen  a  ghost!  " 

But  before  he  could  join  her  she  had  disappeared 
into  mysterious  regions  where  he  dared  not  follow. 


251 


CHAPTER  XVII 

DURING  the  course  of  that  Christmas  night, 
there  was  one  member  of  the  Sequin  house 
hold  who  failed  to  thrill  with  the  holiday  spirit,  and 
whose  depression  steadily  increased  as  the  evening 
wore  on.  The  great  occasion  of  which  Uncle  Jimp- 
son  had  dreamed  all  his  life,  had  at  last  arisen,  and 
instead  of  being  allowed  to  rise  with  it,  and  prove 
his  indisputable  right  to  butlerhood,  he  had  been 
detailed  to  drive  back  and  forth  to  the  station  over 
that  same  humdrum  Cane  Run  Road  that  he  and 
Old  John  had  helped  to  wear  away  for  the  past 
quarter  of  a  century! 

To  be  sure,  a  neat  depot  wagon  and  a  spirited 
young  sorrel  had  replaced  the  ancient  buggy  and 
the  apostolic  nag,  but  these  fell  far  short  of  Uncle 
Jimpson's  dreams.  A  coach  and  four  at  that  mo 
ment  would  not  have  compensated  him  for  the  fact 
that  a  complaisant,  red-headed  furnaceman,  a  "  po' 
white  trash  "  arrived  but  yesterday,  was  being  al 
lowed  to  pass  the  tray  that  by;  all  rights  of  prece 
dence  belonged  to  him. 

252 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Waiting  impatiently  at  the  station  for  the  train 
that  was  to  bring  the  elusive  ices  which  he  had  been 
pursuing  all  evening,  he  at  last  had  the  satisfaction 
of  seeing  the  small  engine  crawl  out  of  the  darkness, 
and  come  to  a  wheezing  halt. 

So  engrossed  were  the  conductor  and  brakeman 
and  Uncle  Jimpson  in  safely  depositing  the  freezers 
on  the  platform,  that  no  one  noticed  a  passenger 
who  had  alighted.  In  fact,  it  was  not  until  Uncle 
Jimpson  heard  Mrs.  Sequin's  name  that  he  paused 
from  his  labor  and  looked  up. 

The  stranger  was  a  young,  well-built  man,  wear 
ing  a  long,  shaggy  overcoat,  and  a  cap  of  a  foreign 
cut  that  excited  the  immediate  envy  of  the  brake 
man.  The  bag  and  the  suit  case  which  he  carried 
were  covered  with  foreign  labels,  and  he  had  the 
air  of  a  person  who  is  suddenly  dropped  down  in 
a  strange  place  and  does  n't  quite  know  what  to  do 
with  himself. 

"  You  say  you  want  to  git  up  to  Mrs.  Sequin's 
to-night  ? "  Uncle  Jimpson  eyed  the  bags  suspi 
ciously.  "  'Scuse  me,  sir,  but  you  ain't  sellin' 
nothin',  is  you  ?  " 

The  laugh  that  greeted  this  was  so  spontaneous, 
that  Uncle  Jimpson  hastened  to  apologize : 

"  I  nebber  thought  you  wuz,  only  we  was  n't 
lookin'  fer  no  railroad  company,  an'  I  'lowed  you 
did  n't  look  lak  you  wuz  comin'  to  de  party." 

253 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  What  party?  "  asked  the  man,  his  look  of  amuse 
ment  giving  place  to  one  of  dismay. 

"  Our-alls  party.  We  's  havin'  a  ball  an'  a  house- 
warmin'.  You  must  be  comin'  fum  a  long  ways 
off  not  to  be  hearin'  'bout  hit !  " 

"  You  mean  the  Sequins  are  having  a  party,  to 
night?" 

"  Yas,  sir." 

"  But  are  n't  they  expecting  me  ?  Did  n't  they 
get  my  telegram  ?  " 

"  I  dunno,  sir.     Dey  nebber  said  nothin'  to  me." 

The  stranger  stood  with  feet  apart,  watch  in  hand, 
and  a  grim  expression  on  the  only  part  of  his  face 
visible  between  his  cap  and  his  upturned  collar. 

"  What  time  is  the  next  train  back  to  town  ?  " 

"  Dey  ain't  none,  'ceptin'  de  special,  what 's  hired 
to  take  de  party  back  to  town.  Dat  goes  'bout  two 
o'clock." 

"  I  '11  wait  for  it,"  said  the  stranger,  flinging  his 
bag  against  the  waiting-room  door  and  beginning 
to  pac«  restlessly  up  and  down  the  snow-covered 
platform. 

But  this  did  not  meet  with  Uncle  Jimpson's  ideas 
of  hospitality. 

"  Dey  nebber  knowed  you  wuz  comin',"  he 
argued.  "  I  jes  know  dey  did  n't.  But  dat  won't 
hinder  'em  fum  bein'  powerful  glad  to  see  you. 
Better  git  in,  Boss,  an'  lemme  dribe  you  up  dere." 

254 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  No,  there  is  evidently  more  room  for  me  in 
town !  " 

"  Room !  Why,  Mister,  we  could  take  keer  of  all 
de  Presidents  of  de  Nunited  States  at  one  time! 
'Sides,  hit  don't  look  right  to  leave  you  a  stompin' 
round  here  in  de  cold  fer  three  or  four  hours  by 
yourself.  You  'd  git  powerful  lonesome." 

"  I  'm  used  to  being  lonesome.  Have  n't  been 
anything  else  for  a  year." 

"  But  dis  heah  is  different,"  urged  the  old  darkey, 
scratching  his  head ;  "  dis  heah  is  Christmas  night. 
Tain't  natchul  fer  folks  not  to  git  together  an'  laugh 
an'  be  happy  an'  fergit  dere  quarrels  an'  dere 
troubles  an'  jollify  deyselves.  You  know  you  ain't 
gwine  be  happy  stompin'  round  here  in  de  dark  by 
your  loneself ;  you  know  dat  ain't  no  way  to  spend 
Christmas,  Boss !  " 

The  stranger  continued  to  stare  into  the  darkness 
for  a  moment,  then  he  laughed,  that  same  sudden, 
infectious,  boyish  laugh  that  had  greeted  Uncle 
Jimpson's  suggestion  that  he  was  an  agent. 

"  You  're  right! "  he  exclaimed;  "  this  is  no  time 
to  nurse  a  grouch.  Perhaps  they  did  n't  get  the 
telegram.  I  '11  risk  it.  Is  there  a  side  door  you 
could  slip  me  in?  " 

"  Yas,  sir !  We  got  four  side  doors,  'sides  de 
back  one.  Ain't  nuffin  we  ain't  got.  You  git  right 
in  de  wagon,  an'  I  '11  hist  de  bags  in.  'Tain't  de 

255 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

way  I  'd  like  to  kerry  you  up  to  de  mansion,  strad- 
dlin'  a  ice-cream  freezer  wid  de  snow  in  yer  face, 
but  I  '11  git  you  dere !  " 

Uncle  Jimpson,  sure  of  an  audience  for  at  least 
twenty  minutes,  forgot  his  wrongs  and  laid  himself 
out  to  make  the  most  of  his  opportunity. 

It  was  very  cold  and  the  horse's  hoofs  beat  hard 
on  the  frozen  ground.  Beyond  the  wavering  circle 
of  light  from  the  swaying  lantern  all  was  dark  and 
mysterious. 

"  I  certainly  is  glad  dem  freezers  come,"  said 
Uncle  Jimpson,  tucking  in  the  lap  robe ;  "  I  shore 
would  hate  to  go  back  widout  'em.  De  Gunnel 
used  to  say  dat  was  what  niggers  was  born  fer,  to 
git  what  you  sent  'em  after." 

"Who  is  the  Colonel?"  asked  the  stranger  with 
a  quick  glance  of  recognition  at  the  old  negro. 

"  Gunnel  Bob  Carsey.  My  old  marster.  He  's 
dead  now,  an'  Mrs.  Sequin  she  's  done  borrowed 
me  fer  a  while." 

"When  did  he  die?" 

"  A  year  ago  las'  May." 

The  man  in  the  foreign  cap  pulled  it  further  over 
his  eyes  and  resumed  his  scrutiny  of  the  road. 

"  Al  dis  heah  hill  used  to  b'long  to  us,"  Uncle 
Jimpson  continued;  "  long  before  de  Sequinses  ever 
wttz  born.  I  spec'  you  Ve  heard  tell  of  Thorn- 
wood  ?  " 

256 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  Yes.     Who  lives  there  now?  " 

"  Nobody.  When  de  Gunnel  died,  my  young 
Miss  did  n't  hab  nobody  to  take  keer  ob  her,  nor  no 
money  to  run  de  place,  no  nothin'  'ceptin'  jus'  me 
an'  Carline.  Dey  was  n't  nothin'  left  fer  her  to  do 
but  git  married." 

A  long  pause  followed  during  which  the  traveler 
watched  the  distorted  shadow  of  the  trotting  horse 
as  it  shambled  along  the  road. 

'  'Course,"  the  old  darkey  broke  out  presently, 
"  Doctor  Queerington  is  a  powerful  smart  gemman, 
an'  he  teks  keer  ob  her  jes'  lak  she  wuz  one  ob  his 
own  chillun.  An'  she  's  gittin'  broke  into  de  shafts, 
but  hit 's  gwine  hard  wid  her.  'Tain't  natchul  to 
hitch  a  young  filly  up  to  a  old  kerriage  horse  an' 
spec'  her  to  keep  step.  She  sorter  holdin'  back  all 
de  time,  kinder  'fraid  to  let  loose  an'  carry  on  same 
as  she  use  to." 

They  were  going  through  the  covered  bridge  now 
and  the  rattle  of  the  wheels  on  the  loose  boards  made 
conversation  difficult. 

"  Wuz  you  eber  homesick,  Boss  ?  "  asked  Uncle 
Jimpson  inconsequently. 

"  Rather,"  said  the  stranger  emphatically.  "  I 
was  born  homesick." 

"  Well,  dat  's  what  ails  my  young  Miss  an'  dat  's 
whut  's  de  matter  wid  me  an'  Carline  an'  Mike. 
Ain't  none  ob  us  used  to  libin'  in  other  folks'  houses 

257 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

an'  mixin'  up  wid  other  folkses  families.  'Course 
hit 's  mighty  fine  to  be  rich  an'  put  on  airs,  but  hit 's 
lonesome.  Tore  hit  got  so  cold,  me  an'  Carline  'd 
go  down  home  most  ebery  night  an'  set  round  de 
quarters,  listenin'  to  de  frogs  an'  de  crickets,  an' 
I  'd  say,  '  Carline,  don't  you  mind  de  time  dat  Miss 
Lady  fell  head  fust  into  de  barrel  ob  sorghum? 
An'  de  time  she  made  de  chickens  drunk  offen  egg- 
nog?*  Nebber  wus  nobody  in  de  world  lak  dat 
chile,  up  to  ever  mischievousness  dat  ever  wuz  con 
cocted,  but  jus'  so  sweet  an'  coaxin'  dat  de  Cunnel 
nebber  knowed  how  to  punish  her." 

The  stranger  took  out  a  meerschaum  pipe,  started 
to  light  a  match,  evidently  forgot  his  intention,  and 
looked  absently  ahead  into  the  darkness. 

"  Dis  is  Thornwood ! "  said  Uncle  Jimpson 
eagerly,  pointing  with  his  whip  up  a  long  avenue  of 
trees;  "you  can't  see  de  house  'cause  dey  ain't  no 
lights  in  de  winders.  De  Gunnel's  paw  set  dem 
trees  out  de  same  year  he  bought  Carline.  Lord, 
I  certainly  wuz  gone  on  dat  yaller  gal !  But  I  did  n't 
know  nothin'  'bout  courtin'.  .  Carline  she  wuz  bet 
ter  qualified  though,  an'  she  made  me  ast  Old  Miss 
ef  I  could  n't  hab  her  fer  my  wife.  We  did  n't  need 
no  Bible  nor  preacher,  nor  sech  foolishness  in  dem 
days.  But  when  Old  Miss  wuz  willin'  we  jus'  dress 
up  an'  walk  ober  de  place  an'  tell  all  de  niggers  we 
married.  Umph,  umph!  But  I  wuz  proud 

258 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

dat  day!  I  had  on  a  bran'  new  pair  ob  pants  dat 
cost  two-hundred  an'  sixty-fo'  dollars  in  Confed 
erate  money!  When  Mr.  Abe  Lincum  set  us  nig 
gers  free,  dey  made  us  git  married  all  ober  agin  wid 
a  preacher  an'  a  Bible,  but  I  never  seed  no  diffunce." 

"  Does  Mrs.  —  Mrs.  Queerington  ever  come  back 
to  Thornwood  ? "  asked  the  stranger,  stumbling- 
over  the  name  as  if  it  were  very  hard  for  him  to 
say. 

"  Yas,  sir,  she  comes  jes'  lak  me  an'  Carline,  an' 
wanders  roun'  de  house  an'  de  garden,  an'  sets  in 
de  ole  barrel  hammock,  studyin'  to  herself." 

"  And  Mike, —  what  became  of  him?  " 

Uncle  Jimpson  looked  at  him  in  surprise,  "  How  'd 
you  know  about  Mike,  Mister?" 

"Didn't  you  speak  of  him  a  while  ago;  wasn't 
he  the  dog?" 

"  Yas,  sir.  He 's  our  dog.  He 's  stayin'  wif 
Miss  Ferney  Foster  what  libes  down  beyond  de 
blacksmith's  on  de  other  side  de  pike.  He  don't  lak 
it  no  better  'n  we  do;  he  's  homesick,  too." 

They  had  reached  a  pretentious  white  gateway, 
and  Uncle  Jimpson,  recalled  to  a  sense  of  his  duties, 
drew  himself  up  from  his  slouching  posture,  crooked 
his  elbow  and  rounded  the  curve  as  if  he  had  been 
driving  a  tally-ho. 

Through  the  bare  trees  above  them  blazed  the 
magnificent  proportions  of  Angora  Heights,  with 

259 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

its  pretentious  assembly  of  stables,  garage  and  ser 
vants'  quarters  in  the  rear. 

"Ye  gods!"  exclaimed  the  stranger  under  his 
breath;  "is  this  all  of  it?" 

"  Naw,  sir! "  Uncle  Jimpson  denied  emphatically; 
"  if  hit  wuz  daytime  you  could  see  de  Ramparts  an' 
de  Estanade.  Over  dere  is  de  Lygoon.  'Tain't 
nothin'  shore  'nuff  but  our  ole  pond  where  we  uster 
ketch  bullfrogs,  but  Mrs.  Sequin  she  tole  me  to  call 
hit  de  Lygoon.  You  see  dem  carvins  ober  de  door  ? 
Dat  figger  goin'  up  dat  Egyptious  stairway  is  John 
Dark..  Didn't  you  nebber  heah  'bout  John  Dark? 
He  wuz  a  woman  what  fit  a  battle  onct." 

"  Cut  around  to  the  side  there,  out  of  the  way 
of  the  motors,"  directed  the  stranger,  who  seemed 
much  more  concerned  in  making  a  quiet  entrance 
into  the  mansion  than  in  studying  its  architectural 
features.  "  Here  's  something  to  put  in  the  toe  of 
your  Christmas  stocking,  and  another  for  Caroline. 
Hurry  up !  " 

He  vaulted  lightly  over  the  wheel  and  turned  to 
take  his  bag.  As  he  did  so  the  light  from  the  con 
servatory  window  above  fell  full  upon  his  upturned 
face. 

"  Fore  de  Lawd !  "  cried  Uncle  Jimpson,  a  broad 
grin  splitting  his  face  almost  in  two.  "  I  might  V 
knowed  dat  de  only  gemman  in  de  world  what  tipped 
lak  dat  wuz  Mr.  Don  Morley !  " 

260 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

IT  is  really  a  very  difficult  thing  to  snub  Christ 
mas.  You  may  relegate  it  to  the  class  of  nui 
sances,  and  turn  your  back  on  Santa  Claus,  and  vote 
the  whole  institution  a  gigantic  bore,  but  before  the 
day  is  over  it  usually  gets  the  better  of  you,  as  it  did 
of  Donald  Morley,  arriving  unannounced  and  un- 
welcomed  at  the  side  door  of  the  Sequin  mansion. 
It  had  gotten  the  better  of  him  the  year  before  when 
he  had  risen  in  the  gray  dawn  of  an  Indian  day  and 
stoically  made  his  way  to  the  banks  of  the  Ganges. 
It  had  proclaimed  itself  above  the  Vedic  hymns  of 
the  twice-born  Brahmins,  standing  knee-deep  in  the 
sacred  river ;  it  had  dogged  his  footsteps  among  the 
ash-smeared  fakirs,  and  jewel-hung  cows;  it  had 
even  haunted  the  burning-ghat  where  he  had  stood 
and  watched  human  bodies  burning  on  their  pyres. 
Eighteen  months  of  wandering  had  made  him 
sick  of  the  casual;  of  the  steamer  acquaintances 
formed  at  one  port  and  dropped  at  the  next;  of  the 
unfamiliar  sights  and  incomprehensible  languages 
and  the  horde  of  alien  yellow  faces.  He  was  weary 
unto  death  of  the  freedom  of  the  high  seas,  and 

261 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

longed  fervently  for  a  strong  anchor,  and  a  quiet 
harbor. 

When  Cropsie  Decker's  explosive  epistle  had  ar 
rived  telling  him  of  his  indictment,  of  Margery's 
broken  engagement,  of  Lee  Dillingham's  treachery, 
his  first  thought  was  not  of  his  wrongs,  but  of  the 
fact  that  they  would  necessitate  his  going  home. 

He  did  not  stop  to  realize  that  going  home  meant 
but  one  thing  to  him.  He  even  tried  to  persuade 
himself  that  seeing  Miss  Lady  in  the  role  of  a  happy, 
complaisant  wife  would  cure  him  of  his  insatiable 
longing  for  her.  From  the  time  he  heard  of  her 
marriage  he  had  striven  desperately  to  put  her  out 
of  his  mind,  using  every  means  but  one  to  accom 
plish  his  purpose.  Through  all  his  resentment  and 
bitterness  of  heart,  he  had  never  returned  to  his  old 
life.  Those  promises  made  to  her  in  the  full  ardor 
of  his  boyish  passion,  he  had  kept  with  the  hopeless 
loyalty  that  one  keeps  the  garments  of  the  dead. 

Now  that  he  had  been  indicted  for  a  crime  of 
which  he  was  wholly  innocent,  his  first  desire  was 
to  know  if  she  still  believed  in  him.  To  be  sure, 
there  were  strong  reasons  why  she  should  not:  his 
own  confession  of  his  shortcomings;  the  unfortu 
nate  complication  in  the  Dillingham  affair;  his  sub 
sequent  disappearance.  It  was  but  natural  that  she 
should  have  been  brought  to  see  the  folly  of  pinning 
her  faith  to  such  an  unstable  proposition  as  himself. 

262 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

His  first  agonized  protest  against  her  marriage  had 
given  place  to  a  stoical  acceptance  of  the  fact  He 
was  paying  the  price  many  a  man  has  paid  for  the 
follies  of  his  youth,  and  he  was  ready  to  pay  without 
a  protest,  if  only  she  could  be  made  to  understand 
the  truth. 

All  that  was  best  in  him  demanded  justice  from 
her,  the  justice  he  had  pleaded  for  in  that  long  letter 
sent  from  San  Francisco.  Goinj  home  for  him 
meant  not  only  a  trial  by  jury  and  a  verdict  of 'guilty 
or  innocent.  It  meant  far  more.  He  would  know 
from  her  own  lips  whether  she  had  ever  received  his 
letter,  and  whether  or  not  she  believed  in  him.  On 
her  decision  rested  his  faith  in  human  nature  and 
in  God. 

The  sudden  decision  to  return  to  America  had 
been  reached  one  night  in  Port  Said,  where  he  had 
just  joined  an  exploring  expedition  bound  for  the 
Valley  of  the  Kings.  He  cancelled  his  engagement, 
took  passage  on  a  little  Russian  steamer  that  was 
bound  for  Alexandria,  and  too  impatient  to  wait  for 
a  liner  from  that  port  shipped  on  a  freight  boat  for 
Naples.  The  passage  across  the  Atlantic  had  been 
a  tempestuous  one,  and  he  had  landed  in  New  York 
two  days  overdue,  with  no  time  to  notify  the  family 
of  his  arrival. 

And  now  after  eighteen  months  of  exile  in  foreign 
lands  he  was  actually  home  again!  That  is  if  this 

263 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

resplendent,  unfamiliar  abode,  full  of  music  and 
lights  and  strange  servants,  could  be  called  home. 
However,  it  \vas  the  nearest  approach  to  one  he 
could  claim,  and  the  fact  that  the  fatted  calf  had  not 
been  killed  for  him,  and  that  the  law  waited  for  him 
around  the  corner,  did  not  prevent  his  pulse  quick 
ening  and  his  lips  smiling  as  he  took  the  side  steps 
two  at  a  time,  and  entered  the  rear  hall. 

An  officious,  red-headed  man  stood  in  the  pantry 
door  with  a  napkin  over  his  arm,  issuing  peremptory 
orders  and  regulating  the  outcoming  and  ingoing 
waiters. 

"  Are  you  the  butler?  "  asked  Donald. 

"  Not  yet,"  said  the  man,  dropping  one  eyelid  and 
assuming  a  confidential  air;  "  I  can  see  she  's  after 
me,  though.  She  got  on  to  my  style  the  minute  she 
seen  me  handle  a  tray  of  glasses.  '  Flathers,'  she 
sez,  '  you  keep  things  movin'  back  there  in  the 
pantry,  and  do  keep  a  eye  on  John.'  John  's  the 
butler.  He  's  a  drinkin'  man,  God  be  praised,  and 
I  'm  layin'  fer  his  job.  Are  you  a  chauffeur?  " 

"  No,"  said  Donald  good  humoredly.  "  I  'm  a 
prodigal  brother.  Where  have  I  seen  you  before?  " 

"  Can't  say.  If  a  person  sees  me  once  they  never 
fergit  me.  It 's  me  golden  glow.  Come,  boys ! 
Hurry  up!  Hurry  up  with  them  cakes  there.  Git 
them  extry  freezers  unpacked.  Git  a  move  on  yer." 

"  Take  this  card  in  to  Mrs.  Sequin,"  said  Don- 
264 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

aid,  "  and  ask  her  if  she  can  spare  a  moment  to  see 
a  caller  in  the  rear  entry." 

Phineas  glanced  suspiciously  from  the  card  to  the 
stranger,  then  he  decided  that  he  would  not  ques 
tion  the  matter. 

A  moment  later,  Mrs.  Sequin  with  her  glittering 
draperies  gathered  about  her,  and  an  expression  of 
great  perturbation  on  her  features,  made  her  high- 
heeled  way  through  the  pantry. 

"  Donald !  My  dear  boy !  "  she  exclaimed  effu 
sively,  presenting  her  cheek  with  the  caution  of  one 
who  hopes  the  kiss  will  be  light.  "  What  on  earth 
are  you  doing  here?  We  had  no  idea  you  were  in 
America.  How  thin  you  are !  I  've  been  in  a  per 
fect  agony  about  you.  Not  those  champagne 
glasses,  John;  the  larger  ones.  That  tiresome  but 
ler  !  He  has  been  tipsy  all  day.  Now,  what  about 
yourself,  Donald?  It  is  dreadfully  unwise  for  you 
to  be  here;  you  know  of  course  of  —  of  the  indict 
ment?" 

"  That 's  why  I  'm  here.  But  how  is  everybody? 
How  are  Brother  Basil  and  little  old  Margery? 
Where  's  my  saddle  mare?  " 

"  I  '11  tell  you  everything  to-morrow,  Don.  You 
must  want  to  go  to  your  room  now.  Flathers  take 
this  gentleman's  bags  up  to  the  East  guest-room, — 
no,  that 's  occupied.  You  won't  mind  going  up  an 
other  flight,  just  for  to-night,  dear?  " 
17  265 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  Oh,  tuck  me  in  anywhere,  just  so  there  's  a  bath 
handy." 

"  All  the  bedrooms  have  baths,"  said  Mrs.  Se 
quin  absently,  with  her  eye  on  the  befuddled  butler 
who  was  trying  to  uncork  a  bottle  with  a  screw 
driver,  "  Let  Flathers  —  I  mean  Benson  —  do  that, 
John,  and  you  take  these  bags.  So  sorry  I  can't 
go  up  with  you  myself,  Don,  but  the  cotillion  is  just 
beginning,  and  I  have  to  see  to  the  favors." 

"  That 's  right,  don't  bother  about  me,  I  '11  get 
into  some  decent  togs  and  be  down  again  in  a  little 
while." 

Mrs.  Sequin  paused  with  her  hand  on  the  banis 
ter,  then  she  leaned  forward  solicitously : 

"  I  would  n't  take  the  trouble  to  dress  and  come 
down  again,  Don.  It 's  late  and  you  must  be  dead 
tired.  You  go  to  bed.  I  ?11  understand." 

Donald,  standing  a  few  steps  above  her,  shot  a 
questioning  glance  at  her,  then  he,  too,  understood. 

"  Oh,  all  right,"  he  said,  biting  his  lip;  "  I  believe 
I  won't  come  down.  You  might  send  Marge  up, 
after  the  people  leave,  just  to  say  '  Hello/  ' 

"Of  course,  we  '11  both  be  up.  Nothing  could 
hold  her  if  she  knew  you  were  here.  But  it  is  bet 
ter  that  nobody  should  know.  I  was  careful  not 
to  mention  your  name  before  the  servants.  You 
can  have  a  nice  little  visit  with  us,  and  get  away 

266 


Mrs.  Sequin  paused  with  her  hand  on  the  banister. 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

again  without  any  one  being  the  wiser.  It  is  so 
lovely  you  got  here  in  time  for  Christmas!  Good 
night."  She  came  up  two  steps  and  presented  her 
other  cheek  for  a  kiss. 

The  delinquent  John,  meanwhile,  was  performing 
acrobatic  feats  with  the  bags,  getting  them  so  mixed 
up  with  his  own  legs  and  the  stair  steps  that  Donald 
snatched  them  from  him,  and,  eliciting  a  vague  di 
rection  concerning  the  room  he  was  to  occupy,  went 
up  to  find  it  alone. 

He  felt  something  of  the  hot  rebellion  and  resent 
ment  that  he  had  experienced  on  another  Christmas 
night  in  the  long  ago,  when  the  cross-eyed  French 
nurse  had  put  him  to  bed  at  five  o'clock  and  left 
him  alone  in  the  big  hotel  in  Paris.  Then  he  had 
cried  himself  to  sleep  because  there  was  n't  any 
Santa  Claus  and  because  he  did  n't  have  a  sweet 
heart.  But  the  consolations  of  six  are  denied  to 
twenty-five. 

On  the  second  floor  he  followed  directions  and 
turned  to  the  right.  The  dressing-rooms  were  de 
serted,  the  maids  having  taken  their  seats  on  the 
steps  to  peep  at  the  dancers  below.  He,  too,  paused, 
and  looked  down  at  the  gaily  whirling  throng. 
There  was  his  old  familiar  world,  the  fellows  he 
had  been  through  college  with,  the  girls  he  had 
flirted  with,  the  very  music  he  had  danced  to,  times 
without  numbers.  And  he  was  as  much  out  of  it 

269 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

all  as  if  he  had  died  of  the  fever  in  that  gray  old  hos 
pital  in  Singapore!  Ah,  if  he  only  had! 

He  turned  abruptly  and  started  up  the  second 
flight  of  stairs,  and  as  he  did  so  something  rose 
precipitately  from  the  steps,  and  fluttered  ahead  of 
him. 

He  looked  up  and  as  he  did  so  chaos  broke  loose 
within  him.  There  at  the  top,  in  the  subdued  light 
from  the  upper  hall,  startled,  uncertain,  off  her 
guard,  stood  Miss  Lady,  not  the  pretty,  harum- 
scarum  girl  of  his  dreams,  but  a  beautiful,  wistful 
woman,  with  trembling  lips  and  startled  eyes,  who 
held  out  her  hands  to  him  in  involuntary  welcome. 

He  lost  his  head  completely.  All  the  blood  in  his 
body  rushed  to  his  throat.  Something  sang  through 
every  fiber  of  him. 

"Miss  Lady!"  he  cried,  catching  the  hands  she 
extended  in  both  of  his,  then  as  she  drew  back  from 
his  too  ardent  look,  he  remembered.  "  I  beg  your 
pardon,  of  course  it 's  Mrs.  Oueerington,  now." 

"  Not  to  you,  Don.  When  did  you  come?  Are 
you  well  again  ?  Did  n't  any  one  know  you  were 
coming?  Have  the  others  seen  you?  " 

She  poured  forth  her  questions  eagerly,  as  if  she 
feared  another  pause.  She  was  making  a  desperate 
effort  to  appear  easy,  but  her  eagerness  betrayed  her. 
She  repeated  that  she  had  no  idea  he  was  in  Amer 
ica,  and  took  refuge  in  a  general  assurance  that 

270 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

everybody   would   be   so   glad   to   have   him   home 
again. 

Donald,  lean  and  tanned,  stood  silent,  watching 
her  searchingly.  His  deep-set  eyes  were  clearer 
and  steadier  than  of  old,  but  they  were  no  longer' 
the  eyes  of  a  boy.  He  was  like  a  mariner  whose 
ship  has  been  wrecked.  He  had  nothing  worse  to 
dread  and  nothing  to  hope  for.  He  simply  desired 
to  see  the  rock  on  which  his  life  craft  had  smashed. 

Miss  Lady  continued  to  ask  questions,  but  she  evi 
dently  did  not  always  heed  the  answers  as  she  asked 
some  of  them  twice  over.  It  was  not  until  Don 
ald's  trouble  was  touched  upon  that  her  mood 
steadied  and  she  lost  her  self-consciousness. 

"Of  course  you  must  stand  the  trial,"  she  said, 
and  her  voice  rang  with  the  old  assurance ;  "  you 
must  fight  the  whole  matter  out  once  for  all,  and 
prove  your  innocence." 

"  Oh,  the  Court  will  prove  that  all  right,  but  what 
does  it  matter?  If  people  were  willing  to  damn 
me  without  hearing,  to  believe  that  I  had  shot  a 
man's  eye  out,  then  run  away  to  escape  the  punish 
ment  —  Bah !  it 's  sickening." 

"  But  everybody  does  n't  believe  it.  The  Doctor 
does  n't,  nor  Margery,  nor  Cropsie  Decker,  nor  I. 
Hundreds  of  your  friends  are  ready  to  stand  by 
you.  Don't  listen  to  what  anybody  else  says,  but 
stay  and  fight  it  out." 

271 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

He  looked  up  suddenly.  "  Did  you  ever  get  that 
letter  I  wrote  you  before  I  sailed  from  'Frisco?  " 

He  had  n't  meant  to  blurt  it  out  like  that,  the 
question  that  had  tortured  him  so  long,  but  her  sym 
pathy  and  friendliness  had  unnerved  him. 

Leaning  forward  with  all  his  soul  in  his  eyes,  he 
watched  the  color  mount  steadily  from  her  throat  to 
her  cheeks,  then  to  her  brow.  He  heard  her  draw 
a  sharp,  quivering  breath  as  one  who  walks  on  a 
precipice,  then  she  faced  him  steadily. 

"  Yes,  Donald,"  she  said,  meeting  his  gaze  un 
flinchingly,  "  I  got  it." 

He  dropped  his  head  on  his  hand  where  it  rested 
on  the  banister,  and  they  stood  for  a  moment  in 
silence  save  for  the  strains  of  music  that  came  up 
from  below.  Then  he  straightened  his  shoulders. 

:<  That 's  all.  I  had  to  make  sure,  you  know. 
And  you  did  n't  believe  in  me  ?  " 

Across  her  face  quivered  the  desire  for  speech, 
and  the  necessity  for  silence. 

"  I  do  believe  in  you,  Don,"  she  said  earnestly. 
"  I  believe  in  you  with  all  my  heart  and  soul.  And 
we  are  going  to  be  your  friends ;  you  '11  let  us,  the 
Doctor  and  me?  " 

He  took  the  hand  she  offered,  but  he  said  noth 
ing,  and  after  she  was  gone  he  went  into  his  room, 
and  flinging  himself  across  the  bed,  buried  his  face 
in  the  pillows. 

272 


CHAPTER    XIX 

THE  new  year  began  inauspiciously  at  the 
Queerington's.  In  the  first  place  Bertie  woke 
up  with  the  chickenpox  and  was  banished  to  the 
nursery.  Then  the  Doctor  followed  his  annual  cus 
tom  of  going  over  his  business  affairs,  with  the 
usual  result  that  he  found  his  accounts  greatly  over 
drawn.  This  fact  was  solemnly  communicated  to 
each  member  of  the  family  in  turn  together  with 
admonitions  in  regard  to  the  future.  By  lunch 
time  Hattie  had  been  sent  to  her  room  for  imperti 
nently  suggesting  that  her  father  spent  more  on  his 
books  than  she  did  on  her  clothes,  and  Connie  was 
sulking  over  a  reduced  allowance. 

"  Of  course,"  the  Doctor  explained  to  Miss  Lady 
as  he  sank  exhausted  into  his  invalid  chair  which 
had  been  pressed  into  service  again  during  the  past 
few  weeks,  "  I  have  no  doubt  but  that  Basil  Sequin 
can  arrange  things  for  me.  He  always  has  in  the 
past,  but  he  seems  very  pressed  of  late,  very  har 
assed.  I  hardly  like  to  approach  him  so  soon  again 
for  a  loan." 

273 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  Could  n't  we  rent  a  smaller  house,  and  have  less 
company?"  suggested  Miss  Lady. 

The  Doctor  shook  his  head.  "  It  would  be  very 
difficult  for  me  to  adjust  myself  to  new  surroundings. 
The  conditions  here  for  my  work  are  fairly  satis 
factory.  The  Ivy's  piano,  to  be  sure,  is  a  constant 
annoyance,  but  by  using  cotton  in  my  ears  I  ob 
viate  that  nuisance.  It  is  particularly  unfortunate 
that  this  complication  about  money  should  come  just 
at  the  most  critical  point  of  my  work.  Unless  Basil 
Sequin  can  make  some  arrangement,  I  shall  be  seri 
ously  embarrassed." 

"  I  '11  tell  you  what  we  can  do,"  cried  Miss  Lady 
brightly,  just  as  if  she  had  not  been  trying  to  get 
herself  up  to  the  point  of  making  the  offer  for  a 
week.  "  We  can  sell  off  another  bit  of  Thornwood. 
Since  the  Sequins  built  out  there  ever  so  many  peo 
ple  have  asked  about  ground." 

"  No,"  said  the  Doctor,  the  lines  of  care  deepen 
ing  in  his  fine,  grave  face.  "  There  is  little  left  now 
but  the  house  and  farm.  Your  sentiment  regard 
ing  the  place  is  such  that  I  cannot  permit  the  sacri 
fice.  The  matter  will  doubtless  adjust  itself.  I 
shall  take  some  private  pupils  at  the  university  and 
perhaps  arrange  an  extra  course  of  lectures.  The 
exigencies  of  the  past  two  years  have  been  excep 
tional." 

"  But  you  are  already  working  yourself  to  death," 
274 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

protested  Miss  Lady.  "  Doctor  Wyeth  said  last 
week  that  you  could  not  stand  the  strain.  The  rest 
of  us  ought  to  do  something;  we  must  do  some 
thing!" 

"  You  are  doing  something,  my  dear.  You  are 
relieving  me  of  innumerable  burdens  in  regard  to 
the  house  and  the  children.  You  are  proving  of 
great  assistance  to  me  in  my  work,  not  only  by 
your  reading  aloud,  but  by  the  unfailing  sympathy 
and  understanding  you  give  me.  Whatever  suc 
cess  shall  crown  my  life  work  will  be  in  a  measure 
due  to  you." 

She  was  sitting  on  a  hassock  at  his  feet,  and  she 
looked  up  at  him  with  strange,  dumb  eyes.  His 
frail  body  and  towering  ambition,  his  loveless  life 
that  knew  not  what  it  missed,  roused  in  her  a  pity 
almost  maternal.  A  fierce  resentment  rose  within 
her  against  herself,  for  not  loving  him  as  she  knew 
a  husband  should  be  loved.  If  he  had  only  won 
her  with  his  heart  instead  of  his  head ! 

The  door  bell  rang  and  Miss  Lady  glanced  up 
apprehensively. 

"  It  was  the  pickle  woman,"  announced  Myrtella, 
coming  in  a  moment  later  from  the  hall.  "  I  sent 
her  about  her  business." 

"  Not  Miss  Ferney !  "  cried  Miss  Lady,  springing 
up  and  rushing  out  to  call  her. 

Miss  Ferney  Foster  with  much  difficulty  was  per- 

275 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

suaded  to  return  and  sit  on  the  edge  of  a  hall  chair. 
On  New  Year's  in  the  past  she  had  always  made 
a  formal  call  at  Thornwood  and  presented  the  Col 
onel  with  a  sample  of  her  best  wares.  The  Colonel 
in  turn  had  invariably  sent  down  cellar  for  one  of 
the  cobwebbiest  bottles  on  the  swinging  shelf  and 
bestowed  it  upon  her  with  great  gallantry.  The 
indignity  of  having  been  refused  admittance  at  the 
house  of  the  Colonel's  daughter  was  almost  more 
than  she  could  bear. 

"  Now,  tell  me  about  everybody  out  home,"  de 
manded  Miss  Lady  eagerly.  "  Begin  at  the  bottom 
of  the  hill  and  go  right  straight  up." 

"  I  don't  know  much  news,"  Miss  Ferney  said, 
plucking  at  the  fingers  of  her  cotton  gloves.  "  I 
been  sewing  up  to  the  Sequins'  all  week." 

"  Mercy !     How  grand  we  are  getting !  " 

"  Just  hemming  tableclothes  and  napkins.  I  can't 
say  I  think  much  of  their  new  place.  It 's  kind  of 
skimpy." 

"  Why,  Miss  Ferney !  It  is  the  biggest  house  I 
was  even  in !  " 

"  I  ain't  talking  'bout  the  size.  I  'm  talking  'bout 
the  fixings.  There  ain't  a  single  carpet  that  fits  the 
floor  by  two  feet,  and  the  wallpaper  's  patched  in 
every  room  but  one.  As  for  the  dining-room! 
Well,  I  wouldn't  have  believed  it  if  I  hadn't  seen 
it  with  my  own  eyes !  They  have  n't  got  a  picture, 

276 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

or  a  tidy,  or  a  curtain,  or  a  lamberkin,  of  any  kind. 
'Spose  I  ought  n't  to  tell  it  on  'em,  but  the  day  I 
was  there  they  did  n't  even  have  a  tablecloth !  " 

Miss  Lady  laughed  in  spite  of  herself,  and  Bertie 
heard  her  and  got  out  of  bed  to  call  over  the  banis 
ters  that  if  they  were  telling  jokes  to  please  come 
up  there. 

"  You  know  that  young  man  that  used  to  be  out 
to  the  Wickers'?"  asked  Miss  Ferney  on  the  way 
up.  "  Well,  he 's  Mrs.  Sequin's  brother.  He 's 
giving  'em  considerable  trouble." 

"  How  do  you  mean?  " 

"  They  want  him  to  go  'way  somewheres,  and  he 
won't  do  it.  The  servant  girl  told  me  that  him  and 
his  sister  had  been  having  it  up  and  down,  and  that 
Miss  Margery  took  his  side." 

"Is  he  going  to  stay?"  Miss  Lady  paused  and 
her  fingers  gripped  the  banister. 

"  I  dunno.  I  guess  if  he  gits  mad  enough  he  '11 
run  off  to  China  like  he  did  before.  Ain't  that 
somebody  calling  you  ?  " 

It  was  Connie  who  had  run  up  to  say  that  a  young 
man  was  at  the  front  door  who  looked  like  a  tomb 
stone  with  a  blond  pompadour. 

"Noah  Wicker!"  exclaimed  Miss  Lady.  "I 
forgot  that  I  told  him  I  would  try  to  get  him  into 
Mr.  Gooch's  law  office  the  first  of  the  year.  Was  n't 
it  like  him  to  arrive  the  first  day?  You  go  down, 

277 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Connie,  that  's  a  darling,  and  entertain  him  'til  I 
come.  I  '11  be  there  directly." 

But  "  directly  "  proved  an  elastic  term,  for  after 
Miss  Ferney  had  left,  and  four  different  persons 
had  been  assured  over  the  telephone  that  all  invita 
tions  were  being  declined  on  account  of  the  Doctor's 
indisposition,  Miss  Lady  found  Hattie  still  sulking 
in  her  room,  and  spent  a  half  hour  in  restoring  peace 
to  that  troubled  bosom. 

Meanwhile  Myrtella  came  up  to  announce  with 
elation  that  a  waterpipe  had  burst  in  the  cellar. 
Few  things  roused  such  joy  in  Myrtella  as  the  burst 
ing  of  a  waterpipe.  It  was  an  act  of  insubordina 
tion  on  the  part  of  the  pipe,  with  which  she  deeply 
sympathized. 

"  And  it 's  Mr.  Gooch's  night  for  supper,  and 
if  that  man  in  the  parlor  stays,  too,  the  ice  cream 
won't  go  'round,"  she  declared,  with  evident  satis 
faction  in  the  cumulative  tragedy. 

By  the  time  the  knots  were  untied,  Miss  Lady  had 
forgotten  all  about  Noah  Wicker,  and  it  was  only 
when  Connie  came  in  declaring  indignantly  that  she 
would  n't  talk  to  the  stupid  fellow  another  minute, 
that  she  remembered. 

"'  You  poor  dear  child !  "  she  cried,  giving  her 
a  repentant  squeeze.  "  I  am  sorry.  Hattie,  would 
you  mind  going  down  and  entertaining  him  a  sec 
ond,  'til  I  change  my  dress?  " 

278 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  I  would,"  said  Hattie  firmly. 

Of  course  Noah  stayed  to  dinner,  and  Miss  Lady 
regarded  it  as  an  act  of  Providence  that  he  and  Mr. 
Gooch  should  have  thus  immediately  been  thrown  to 
gether. 

But  when  Mr.  Gooch  arrived  he  was  concerned 
with  much  more  important  affairs.  He  brought  the 
astounding  news  that  Donald  Morley  had  returned 
home  and,  against  the  advice  of  his  family,  and  his 
lawyers,  decided  to  stand  his  trial  for  the  shooting 
of  Dick  Sheeley! 

"  It  is  perfectly  preposterous ! "  Mr.  Gooch  ex 
ploded,  "to  voluntarily  put  himself  in  the  clutches 
of  the  law  in  a  complicated  case  like  this !  He  could 
have  lived  elsewhere  for  a  few  years.  Even  if  he 
is  innocent,  the  evidence  is  all  against  him.  I  have 
argued  with  him  for  two  days.  His  sister  tells  me 
that  she  has  worked  on  him  for  a  week.  He  will 
listen  to  nobody." 

"  Quite  right/'  said  the  Doctor  emphatically. 
"  The  establishment  of  his  good  name  should  be  his 
primary  consideration.  '  The  purest  treasure  mor 
tal  times  afford  is  spotless  reputation.'  I  am  more 
gratified  than  I  can  say  that  Donald  is  taking  this 
course.  He  is  justifying  my  persistent  belief  in  his 
integrity.  Once  cleared  by  a  jury  the  ghost  of  that 
unfortunate  affair  will,  I  trust,  be  laid  forever." 

"  It  is  not  so  certain  that  he  will  be  cleared,"  Mr. 
279 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Gooch  said,  taking  his  accustomed  seat  at  the  table, 
with  a  solicitous  eye  on  the  door  where  Myrtella 
would  appear  with  the  soup.  "  I  shall  do  my  best 
for  him,  but  I  have  my  doubts." 

"  You  say  he  has  been  here  a  week  ?  "  the  Doctor 
asked.  "  Strange  he  has  not  been  in  to  see  us.  He 
was  always  fond  of  the  children,  and  professed  a 
certain  regard,  I  believe,  for  me.  I  want  him  to 
meet  Mrs.  Queerington." 

There  was  a  pause,  during  which  Noah  Wicker 
turned  a  surprised  glance  upon  the  hostess. 

"  I  know  Mr.  Morley,"  she  said  steadily,  while 
the  color  mounted  to  her  cheeks.  "  I  knew  him 
when  he  was  with  Noah  at  the  farm." 

"  Indeed,"  said  the  Doctor.  "  I  must  have  for 
gotten  your  mentioning  it.  I  am  afraid,  Mr. 
Wicker,  we  've  been  neglecting  you  to-night  in  our 
concern  over  Donald's  problems.  But  it  is  a  sub 
ject  in  which  you  are  doubtless  equally  interested  ?  " 

Noah  started  to  reply,  but  realizing  that  the  com 
pany  was  looking  at  him,  forgot  what  he  was  going 
to  say  and  bowed  instead. 

At  this  juncture  the  thing  of  all  others  that  Miss 
Lady  dreaded,  occurred.  Donald  Morley  was  an 
nounced  by  Myrtella  in  tones  whose  accents  implied 
that  nothing  could  now  prevent  the  ice  cream  from 
giving  out. 

"  Well,  well !  "  cried  the  Doctor,  rising  and  greet- 
280 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

ing  him  with  outstretched  hand,  "  a  hearty  welcome 
home.  You  know  everybody  here,  I  believe  ?  Even 
Mrs.  Queerington  tells  me  she  has  met  you.  And 
this  is  Hattie.  I  am  quite  sure  you  were  not  pre 
pared  to  see  her  so  tall." 

Donald,  retaining  Hattie's  hand,  made  the  round 
of  greetings. 

"  Where  are  Connie  and  Bert?  " 

"  Connie  is  dressing  for  a  party,  and  poor  old 
Bert  is  struggling  with  the  chickenpox,"  Miss  Lady 
managed  to  say  as  she  busied  herself  with  the  coffee 
cups. 

"  And  now  tell  us  about  yourself,"  said  the  Doc 
tor,  drawing  a  chair  for  Donald  beside  his  own. 
"  You  will  pardon  my  cushions,  but  I  am  still 
something  of  an  invalid,  and  the  little  lady  at  the 
end  of  the  table  insists  upon  spoiling  me.  You 
knew,  of  course,  of  my  accident,  some  two  years 
ago?" 

"  Not  until  I  got  home,"  Donald  said  without 
looking  up.  "I  hope  you  Ve  gotten  well  again?" 

"  Oh,  no,  I  shall  never  be  well.  The  physicians 
assured  me  of  that  from  the  first,  but  they  also  said 
that  with  care  and  proper  conservation  of  my  ener 
gies  I  would  probably  live  to  a  ripe  old  age.  I  do 
not  suppose  you  have  ever  had  to  resist  the  tempta 
tion  to  overwork,  Donald  ?  " 

Donald  smiled  and  puckered  his  brow. 
281 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  He  has  plenty  of  work  cut  out  for  him  now ! " 
growled  Mr.  Gooch,  whose  mind  having  been  tem 
porarily  diverted  by  the  salad  now  rushed  back  to 
the  trial. 

"  Work  for  an  admirable  cause,"  said  the  Doctor. 
"  Mr.  Gooch  has  just  been  telling  us  of  your  deci 
sion,  Donald,  and  I  cannot  express  my  gratification 
at  your  course  of  action." 

"  Thank  you,  Doctor !  That 's  the  first  encour 
agement  I  Ve  had.  My  family  seem  to  think  I  am 
a  lunatic,  and  even  my  lawyer,  here,  is  taking  the 
case  under  protest." 

"  The  value  of  a  good  name,"  began  the  Doctor, 
then  remembering  that  he  had  delivered  himself  at 
length  on  that  subject  earlier  in  the  evening,  he 
broke  off  by  inquiring  if  Donald  had  been  doing 
any  writing  during  his  absence. 

"  Oh !  yes,  I  am  always  scribbling.  It  does  n't 
amount  to  anything  though." 

"  Yes,  it  does,  too !  "  declared  Hattie,  to  whom 
Cousin  Don  had  always  been  a  hero.  "  Mr.  Decker 
told  Gerald  Ivy  that  you  did  all  the  best  things  in 
the  articles  he  sent  home  for  the  syndicate." 

"  I  suspected  it !  "  said  the  Doctor.  "  I  thought 
I  recognized  your  humorous  view-point  in  that 
first  article  on  China.  I  remarked  to  my  wife  at 
the  time  that  you  had  visualized  the  scene,  for  the 
reader,  exactly  as  you  had  seen  it." 

282 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"But  I  didn't!"  said  Donald.  "I  wrote  that 
story  a  month  before  we  reached  China.  Decker 
hit  on  the  idea  of  getting  all  the  articles  written 
while  we  were  crossing  the  Pacific,  so  we  would  n't 
have  to  bother  about  them  after  we  landed.  We 
used  to  get  up  on  the  boat-deck  and  turn  them  off 
like  hot  cakes.  That 's  all  foolishness  about  my  do 
ing  the  best  parts.  Why,  Decker  is  a  wonder! 
He  's  reducing  the  thing  to  a  science ;  he  does  n't 
even  need  a  pen  or  a  pencil;  just  plenty  of  guide 
books,  a  paper  of  pins,  and  a  pair  of  scissors.  Lap- 
board  literature,  he  calls  it.  He  spent  most  of  his 
time  trimming  my  effusions  down  to  measure 
ments." 

"  That  is  because  you  indulged  your  imagination. 
It  is  a  drug  in  the  journalistic  market,  but  it  is  in 
valuable  elsewhere.  Why  not  try  something  for 
the  magazines  ?  Choose  a  congenial  theme  and  give 
your  fancy  full  rein.  It  will  be  interesting  to  see 
what  comes  of  it." 

Connie's  entrance  here  interrupted  further  con 
versation.  She  had  neglected  no  detail  of  her  toi 
let,  and  the  result  was  a  pink  and  white  confection 
ready  for  conquest. 

"  We  thought  you  were  never  coming  to  see  us, 
Cousin  Don,"  she  said,  half  pouting,  and  giving  a 
side  glance  at  Noah  Wicker.  "  You  've  been  home 
a  whole  week !  " 

18  283 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  Heavens,  Connie !  I*  did  n't  expect  to  find  you 
so  grown  up.  How  long  have  you  been  out?  " 

"  I  've  never  been  in,"  she  said,  releasing  her 
hand  and  smiling  consciously.  "  Are  n't  you  com 
ing  to  the  Bartrums'  party  to-night  ?  " 

"  No,  I  *m  not  in  a  mood  for  parties  these  days." 

"  But  I  've  never  had  a  chance  to  dance  with  you 
since  you  taught  me  to  waltz." 

"  Horrible  deprivation !  Can  you  still  do  the 
cake  walk  I  taught  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  and  so  can  Miss  Lady !  Is  n't  it  funny  ? 
She  says  it 's  the  one  the  darkeys  dance  at  the  pic 
nics  up  at  Thornwood!  Come  on,  Miss  Lady;  let 's 
show  them!  " 

"  Constance,  Constance !  "  remonstrated  the  Doc 
tor  gently,  as  the  girl  seized  Miss  Lady's  hands  and 
tried  to  draw  her  to  her  feet.  "  You  see,  Donald, 
the  children  forget  that  Mrs.  Queerington  is  any 
thing  but  a  play-fellow,  and  sometimes  — "  he  rose 
and  laid  a  hand  on  her  shoulder,  "  sometimes  she 
forgets,  too." 

Donald  pushed  back  his  chair  abruptly. 

"  I  think  I  '11  come  to  the  party,  Connie,  after 
all.  I  '11  run  up  to  Decker's  room  at  the  hotel  and 
change  my  togs.  You  will  save  me  a  waltz  or 
two?" 

"  All  of  them,  if  you  like !  It 's  going  to  be  the 
jolliest  dance  of  the  season,  everybody  says  so. 

284 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Change  your  mind,  Miss  Lady,  and  come !  I  don't 
see  how  you  can  hesitate  when  you  remember  the 
time  you  had  at  the  Sequins' !  Gerald  is  coming  for 
me;  we  can  all  go  down  together." 

Miss  Lady  needed  only  the  spark  of  Connie's  en 
thusiasm  to  start  all  the  forbidden  fires  in  her.  Her 
eyes  flew  to  the  Doctor's  face. 

He  smiled  as  he  caught  her  eager  look,  "  Go 
with  them,  my  dear,  if  you  like.  It  is  quite  a  natu 
ral  instinct,  I  believe,  to  celebrate  the  first  night  of 
the  New  Year." 

"But  you,  will  you  take  me?  Just  this  once. 
Doctor?" 

"  No,  no.  My  party  days  are  over.  Donald 
here  will  take  my  place,  will  you  not,  Donald?  " 

But  Miss  Lady  gave  him  no  chance  to  answer. 
That  mad  insistent  clamor  within  her  for  joy,  for 
life,  for  love,  could  not  be  trusted  for  a  moment. 
She  was  afraid  of  herself! 

"  I  '11  stay  home,"  she  said,  with  a  brave  attempt 
at  gaiety,  conscious  of  Donald's  critical  eyes  upon 
her.  "  We  will  have  a  pinochle  tournament,  and 
Noah  and  I  will  beat  the  home  team  on  its  own 
ground.  Won't  we,  Noah?" 

But  Noah  did  not  hear  her;  he  was  absorbed  in 
watching  Connie  who  stood  on  tiptoe,  pinning  a 
flower  in  Don  Morley's  buttonhole. 


285 


CHAPTER  XX 

FOR  the  next  month  little  else  was  talked  about 
but  Donald  Morley's  trial  The  truth  of  the 
matter  sustained  a  compound  fracture  every  time 
the  subject  was  discussed.  In  some  quarters  it  was 
confidently  asserted  that  the  fugitive  from  justice 
had  been  captured  the  moment  he  landed  in  Amer 
ica,  and  was  allowed  his  liberty  only  under  a  heavy 
bond.  Others  contended  that  a  guilty  conscience 
had  driven  him  to  confession. 

Meanwhile  his  friends  were  either  exasperated 
at  his  folly  in  reviving  the  old  scandal,  or  quixot 
ically  enthusiastic  over  his  demand  for  justice. 
Mrs.  Sequin  bitterly  opposed  his  action  until  she 
found  that  the  Bartrums,  Dr.  Queerington,  and 
other  influential  friends  upheld  him,  then  she  de 
cided  to  suspend  her  judgment  until  the  trial  was 
over.  Of  course  if  he  was  going  to  be  a  hero,  she 
wanted  to  be  his  loving  sister,  but  if  he  was  going 
to  be  convicted,  she  would  have  nothing  more  to  do 
with  him.  He  had  gone  directly  against  her  advice 
in  coming  home,  and  she  observed  with  ominous 
certainty  that  "  he  would  see." 

286 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Donald  threw  himself  into  the  work  before  him 
with  grim  determination.  He  spent  hours  daily  in 
Mr.  Gooch's  stuffy  office  going  over  transcript  of 
testimony  in  the  Dillingham  trial ;  he  made  a  number 
of  visits  to  Billy-goat  Hill,  recalling  every  detail  of 
the  shooting.  On  the  first  visit  he  had  sought  out 
Sheeley,  confident  of  being  able  to  jog  his  memory 
concerning  his  part  in  the  affray,  but  to  his  dismay 
he  found  that  Sheeley  had  already  been  summoned 
to  the  office  of  the  prosecuting  attorney.  In  every 
direction  he  turned  he  encountered  the  octopus  of 
the  law. 

Mr.  Gooch  gave  him  little  encouragement.  He 
wheezed,  and  whined,  and  contested  every  sugges 
tion.  His  client  appeared  to  him  a  foolhardy  boy 
who  had  gotten  well  out  of  an  ugly  scrape,  and  did 
not  have  sense  enough  to  stay  out.  So  strongly  did 
he  feel  this  that  he  felt  called  upon  to  express  it  at 
great  length,  on  every  possible  occasion. 

Donald  would  sit  before  him  with  arms  folded, 
and  jaws  set,  waiting  impatiently  for  these  ha 
rangues  to  cease.  He  had  employed  him  because  he 
was  the  family  lawyer,  and  because  he  was  a  friend 
of  Doctor  Queerington's.  At  the  end  of  the  first 
week  he  realized  that  he  had  made  a  mistake,  and 
confided  the  fact  to  Noah  Wicker. 

Noah,  having  successfully  worked  through  the  law 
course  at  the  university,  was  now,  by  the  persistent 

287 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

efforts  of  Miss  Lady,  occupying  a  dark  corner  of 
Mr.  Gooch's  outer  office.  Here,  with  feet  hooked 
under  a  rung  of  a  stool,  and  fingers  grasping  his 
pompadour,  he  doggedly  wrestled  with  the  cases  he 
heard  in  court,  laboriously  puzzling  out  obscure 
points  by  the  aid  of  the  Statute  and  the  Code. 

Donald  soon  fell  into  the  habit  of  discussing  his 
approaching  trial  with  him,  at  such  times  as  Mr. 
Gooch  was  absent.  He  found  Noah's  calm,  imper 
sonal  point  of  view  a  relief  after  the  skeptical,  dis 
approving  attitude  of  the  older  attorney. 

During  these  days  Donald  spent  as  little  time  as 
possible  at  Angora  Heights.  The  family  skeletons 
that  had  always  lurked  in  the  Sequin  closets,  seemed 
to  revel  in  their  commodious  new  quarters.  It  is  a 
melancholy  fact  that  the  more  closets  one  acquires, 
the  more  skeletons  there  are  to  occupy  them! 

Mrs.  Sequin's  existence,  if  restless  in  town,  was 
trebly  so  in  the  country.  Between  catching  trains 
and  receiving  and  speeding  guests,  engaging  and  dis 
missing  servants,  and  agonizing  over  the  non-essen 
tials,  she  dwelt  in  the  vortex  of  a  whirlwind  that 
disturbed  everything  in  its  wake. 

Between  her  and  Margery  the  gulf  was  widening. 
Having  declared  her  independence,  the  girl  went 
further,  and  entered  a  training  class  in  the  kinder 
garten,  an  act  which  caused  a  rupture  that  threat 
ened  to  be  serious,  until  the  head  of  the  family  for 

288 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

once  asserted  his  authority,  and  unexpectedly  sided 
with  his  daughter. 

Basil  Sequin  during  these  days  had  little  time 
to  bestow  upon  family  matters.  He  rose  at  six 
o'clock,  drank  three  cups  of  black  coffee,  devoured 
the  newspapers,  and  was  on  the  way  to  the  office 
before  his  gardener  was  out  of  bed.  Before  and 
after  banking  hours  he  had  committee  meetings,  and 
special  appointments,  snatching  a  few  minutes  for 
luncheon  at  the  nearest  restaurant. 

Donald  had  had  but  one  chance  to  talk  with  him 
since  his  return,  and  that  was  one  evening  when  he 
was  summoned  to  his  den.  He  found  him  pacing 
restlessly  up  and  down  the  room,  his  hands  thrust 
deep  in  his  pockets. 

"  You  Ve  decided  to  stand  the  trial,  I  hear  ?  "  Mr. 
Sequin  asked  abruptly. 

"  Yes,  I  had  to  get  the  matter  cleared  up.  It  is 
all  so  idiotic,  my  being  indicted !  I  don't  anticipate 
any  trouble." 

"  You  can't  tell,"  said  Mr.  Sequin,  "  but  I  did  n't 
send  for  you  to  discuss  the  trial.  It 's  business  I 
want  to  talk  about.  Do  you  know  how  much  stock 
you  own  in  the  People's  Bank  ?  " 

"  No,  I  can't  say  that  I  do  exactly." 

"  Well,  it 's  time  you  were  finding  out.  How 
would  you  like  to  take  charge  of  your  own  affairs 
from  now  on?  " 

289 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Donald  looked  at  him  in  undisguised  surprise. 
Heretofore  the  only  time  that  money  matters  had 
been  discussed  between  them  was  when  he  had  been 
guilty  of  some  extra  extravagance.  This  sudden 
change  of  tactics  on  the  part  of  his  brother-in-law 
was  disconcerting. 

"  Why,  I  should  n't  like  it  at  all,  unless  it  would 
relieve  you,"  he  said. 

"  It  is  n't  that.  One  bother  more  or  less  does  n't 
matter.  The  point  is,  I  want  you  to  act  for  your 
self.  The  result  of  this  trial  is  by  no  means  certain ; 
you  may  need  considerable  ready  money  before  you 
get  through  with  it.  Why  don't  you  sell  your  bank 
stock,  and  make  some  better  paying  investments  on 
your  own  hook?  " 

"  Why,  I  thought  the  bank  stock  — "  began  Don 
ald,  but  Mr.  Sequin  wheeled  upon  him  impatiently. 

"  Do  you  want  my  advice  or  not  ?  " 

"  Of  course  I  want  it." 

"  Very  well.  Listen  to  me.  Almost  every  dol 
lar  you  have  is  tied  up  in  the  People's  Bank.  Go 
down  to-morrow  morning  to  a  broker,  Gilson  's  the 
best  man,  tell  him  that  you  must  have  a  big  sum 
of  money  at  once.  In  order  to  get  it  you  are  willing 
to  sacrifice  every  share  of  your  People's  stock.  Tell 
him  not  to  put  it  on  the  market,  but  to  sell  it  in  small 
blocks  to  different  people,  and  not  to  stick  at  the 
price.  Make  him  understand  that  it  has  to  do  with 

290 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

your  trial,  and  caution  him  particularly  not  to  let  me 
know  of  the  transaction." 

"  But  I  don't  understand,"  said  Donald,  watching 
with  troubled  eyes  the  stooped  figure  that  continued 
to  pace  up  and  down  the  room  like  an  animal  in  a 
cage. 

"  I  did  n't  offer  to  explain.  I  offered  to  advise," 
Mr.  Sequin  snarled.  "  There  are  complications  that 
could  n't  be  made  clear  to  you  in  a  month !  I  '11 
ask  you  not  to  refer  to  this  matter  again  to  me  or 
to  any  one  else.  I  have  a  lot  of  papers  to  look  over 
now,  so  I  '11  say  good  night." 

Donald  rose  from  where  he  had  been  sitting  at 
the  table. 

"Of  course  you  know  what  is  best,"  he  said  ir 
resolutely.  "  And  I  know  I  've  got  no  business 
shifting  my  responsibilities  on  you.  By  the  way, 
can't  I  help  you  with  some  of  this  stuff?  You  look 
about  done  for  to-night." 

"  Done  for  ?  "  Mr.  Sequin  smiled  ironically,  and 
ran  his  fingers  through  his  scant  gray  hair.  "  Why, 
Don,  I  'd  change  places  with  any  old  corpse  to-night, 
just  for  a  chance  to  lie  down  in  a  quiet  corner  and 
stop  thinking !  No,  there 's  nothing  you  can  do. 
There 's  nothing  anybody  can  do.  Good  night ; 
close  the  door  as  you  go  out,  and  leave  word  down 
stairs  if  I  am  called  over  the  'phone  to  say  I  am  not 
here." 

291 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

All  things  considered  it  is  small  wonder  that 
Donald  passed  as  little  time  as  possible  at  Angora 
Heights.  The  time  he  was  not  occupied  with  his 
trial  hung  heavy  on  his  hands.  Distrustful  of  his 
friends,  sensitive  to  criticism,  and  dreading  the  hu 
miliating  ordeal  to.  come,  he  spent  one  of  the  most 
wretched  months  of  his  life.  He  tried  to  write, 
but  fancy  fled  before  the  glare  of  the  actual.  The 
only  place  where  he  found  temporary  peace  was 
under  the  roof  of  the  grim-looking  house  in  College 
Street. 

From  the  first  Doctor  Queerington  had  cham 
pioned  his  cause,  and  urged  upon  him  his  hospitality. 
To  be  sure  the  Doctor's  hospitality  usually  began 
and  ended  with  his  welcome,  after  which  he  would 
take  himself  off  to  the  study,  and  leave  his  guest  to 
the  care  of  the  family. 

At  such  times  Miss  Lady  invariably  went  with 
him.  In  fact,  Donald  had  never  seen  her  alone  since 
the  night  of  his  arrival,  and  the  very  fact  that  she 
seldom  remained  down-stairs  in  the  evenings,  made 
his  conscience  lighter  about  lingering  in  her 
vicinity. 

Mrs.  Ivy  was  the  first  to  comment  on  his  frequent 
visits.  She  confided  to  Mrs.  Sequin  that  she  was 
afraid  he  was  getting  interested  in  Connie  Queering 
ton,  and  that  somebody  ought  to  tell  him  that  Connie 
had  been  in  love  with  dear  Gerald  for  years  and 

292 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

years.  An  impartial  observer  might  have  expressed 
a  less  confident  opinion  concerning  the  object  of 
Miss  Connie's  affections. 

Noah  Wicker,  for  instance,  while  not  exactly  an 
impartial  observer,  had  arrived  at  quite  a  different 
conclusion. 

"  You  watch  the  way  she  looks  at  Don,"  he  said 
darkly  to  Miss  Lady  on  one  occasion. 

Miss  Lady  laughed,  "  Oh !  Connie's  -  like  the 
Last  Duchess,  she  likes  whate'er  she  looks  on,  and 
her  looks  go  everywhere." 

"  Yes,  but  this  is  different.  Has  she  ever  said 
anything  to  you  about  him?  " 

"  Mercy,  yes,  Connie  talks  to  be  about  all  the 
boys." 

"  Does  she  talk  about  me  ?  "  Noah's  eyes  were  as 
wistful  as  a  dog's. 

For  a  second  Miss  Lady  hesitated,  then  she  com 
promised  with  truth  and  said,  "  yes."  She  did  not 
add  that  Connie  was  particularly  voluble  on  the  sub 
ject  of  his  hair,  and  the  creak  of  his  boots  and  his 
apparent  genius  for  ubiquity. 

"  Do  you  know  what  I  'd  do  if  I  were  you, 
Noah?"  she  said.  "I'd  have  me  a  new  suit  of 
clothes  made." 

"  Why,  these  are  new !  " 

"  Yes,  I  know,  but  they  don't  fit.  And  get  some 
shoes  that  don't  creak,  and  —  and  you  won't  mind 

293 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

my  telling  you,  Noah?     Pompadours  went  out  of 
style  six  years  ago." 

Noah  gloomily  shook  his  head.  "  It 's  not  my 
clothes.  It 's  not  clothes  that  make  Don  Morley. 
By  the  way,  are  n't  you  two  friends,  any  more  ?  " 

Miss  Lady  faced  the  question  unflinchingly. 
"  Yes,  we  are  friends.  Is  he  going  to  win  out?  " 

"With  Miss  Connie?" 

"  No,  you  foolish  boy.     In  his  trial." 

"  I  don't  know." 

"  What  will  happen  if  he  loses?  " 

"  The  case  will  be  appealed." 

"And  if  he  loses  in  the  Court  of  Appeals?" 

"  It 's  up  to  Gooch  to  see  that  he  does  n't  lose.  I 
only  wish  I  was  as  certain  of  a  few  other  things  as 
I  am  of  Donald  Morley's  innocence !  " 

One  afternoon,  a  few  days  before  the  trial,  Don 
ald  after  oscillating  between  the  hotel  and  his  club 
and  finding  each  equally  intolerable,  jumped  on  the 
car  and  went  out  to  the  Queeringtons.  It  was  a 
cold,  raw  day,  with  a  fine  mist  filling  the  air,  and 
even  the  dull  formality  of  the  drab  parlor  seemed 
a  relief  from  the  gloom  without. 

Miss  Lady  started  up  from  the  piano  as  he  en 
tered,  but  Connie  pulled  her  back : 

"  You  shan't  run  off  and  leave  us,  shall  she, 
Cousin  Don?  She  was  just  going  to  play  for  Mr. 
Wicker  to  sing.  Did  you  know  he  could  sing?  " 

294 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  Oh,  yes.  Wick  's  the  Original  Warbler.  Do 
you  remember  our  serenades  on  the  Cane  Run  Road, 
Wick?" 

"  Yes,"  said  Noah  glumly. 

"  I  forgot  that  you  and  Mr.  Wicker  used  to  know 
each  other,"  Connie  said  curiously.  "  Why  the 
Cane  Run  Road  runs  by  Thornwood,  does  n't  it?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Don  calmly,  seizing  the  conversation 
and  shoving  it  out  of  shoal  water.  "  Go  ahead, 
Wick,  and  sing  something;  we  '11  join  in  the  chorus." 

But  when  the  time  for  the  chorus  came  Donald 
had  forgotten  his  promise.  He  was  leaning  back  in 
a  corner  of  the  sofa,  his  hand  shading  his  eyes, 
watching  Miss  Lady,  and  wondering  what  trick  of 
fate  had  driven  her  to  marry  John  Jay  Queer  ing- 
ton.  There  was  no  man  in  the  world  whose  moral 
worth  he  admired  more,  but  Miss  Lady  seemed  as 
out  of  place  in  his  life  as  a  darting,  quivering  hum 
ming-bird  in  a  museum  of  natural  history.  He 
noticed  the  faint  shadows  about  her  eyes,  and  the 
wistful  droop  of  her  lips.  If  he  could  only  set  her 
free!  A  mad  desire  seized  him  to  see  her  once 
more  joyously  on  the  wing  with  all  her  old  buoyancy 
and  daring.  And  yet  she  had  walked  open  eyed 
into  her  cage,  and  he  had  yet  to  see  the  tiniest  flutter 
of  her  wings  against  the  bars. 

On  that  first  night  of  his  home-coming  surely  he 
had  read  a  welcome  in  her  eyes !  But  never  since 

295 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

by  word  or  gesture  had  he  reason  to  think  that  she 
remembered.  She  was  gracious  and  elusive,  and  she 
talked  to  him  as  she  talked  to  Decker  and  Gerald 
Ivy,  only  she  looked  at  them  when  she  talked,  and 
she  never  even  looked  at  him. 

Yet  she  had  cared!  He  had  only  to  recall  the 
flashing  revelation  of  her  eyes  that  night  in  the  gar 
den  to  know  for  one  transcendent  moment,  at  least, 
she  was  his.  It  was  the  look  that  had  sustained  his 
faith  in  her  through  all  those  weary  months  of  si 
lence,  making  him  cling  to  the  belief,  until  he  heard 
the  truth  from  her  own  lips,  that  she  had  failed  to 
get  his  letter.  It  was  the  remembrance  of  that  look 
and  what  it  had  promised  that  rushed  upon  him  now 
as  he  watched  her. 

All  the  reckless  impulse  of  his  boyhood,  the  long 
years  of  unrestraint,  surged  over  him,  urging  him 
on  to  wake  in  her  some  answer  to  his  fierce,  insistent 
demand.  She  should  remember  the  way  he  had 
loved  her,  she  should  know  the  way  he  loved  her 
now.  If  there  was  any  heart  left  in  her  she  must 
respond  in  some  way  to  his  imperative  need. 

But  her  eyes  kept  steadily  on  the  key-board,  and 
her  fingers  unfalteringly  followed  the  notes.  Could 
he  have  known  how  the  tears  burned  under  her 
lashes,  and  how  cold  her  fingers  were  on  the  keys; 
could  he  have  guessed  how  she  sat  there  under  his 
steady  gaze,  with  tense  muscles  and  quivering 

296 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

nerves,  calculating  the  minutes  that  must  elapse  be 
fore  Noah's  interminable  verses  would  end,  and  she 
could  escape,  he  might  have  had  compassion  on  her. 

"  Sing,  Cousin  Don !  "  demanded  Connie ;  "  you 
are  leaving  it  all  to  Mr.  Wicker  and  me,  while  you 
sit  there  looking  exactly  as  if  you  had  lost  your  last 
friend." 

"  No,  only  my  illusions,  Connie." 

"  Where  did  you  lose  them?  " 

"  In  Singapore.  All  but  one.  I  hung  on  to  it 
clear  around  the  world,  only  to  lose  it  on  Christmas 
night  when  I  got  home.  Don't  you  feel  sorry  for 
me?" 

"  Not  a  bit,"  said  Connie  saucily.  "  I  could  n't 
feel  sorry  for  anybody  as  good  looking  as  you  are, — 
could  you,  Mr.  Wicker?  Where  did  Miss  Lady 
go?" 

"  She  said  she  was  going  to  lie  down,  that  her 
head  ached,"  said  Noah. 

"  I  know  what 's  the  matter,"  said  Connie ;  "  she 
tries  to  keep  us  from  seeing  it,  but  she  's  all  broken 
up  over  selling  Thornwood." 

"Thornwood!"  cried  Donald;  "she  hasn't  sold 
it?" 

"  No,  but  it 's  been  put  up  for  sale.  She  'd  die 
at  the  stake  for  Father.  He  does  n't  even  know 
about  it." 

"  But  surely  there  is  some  other  way." 
297 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Connie  shrugged  her  shoulders.  "  I  am  sure  1 
don't  know.  Hattie  's  given  up  music  and  French, 
and  we  've  put  Bertie  in  the  public  school,  and  I 
haven't  had  but  one  party  dress  this  winter.  But 
a  girl  does  n't  have  to  depend  on  clothes  to  have  a 
good  time,  does  she,  Mr.  Wicker?  " 

That  night  Donald  sat  up  late,  turning  things  over 
in  his  mind.  Once  the  trial  was  over  he  must  go 
away,  where  he  could  not  see  Miss  Lady  or  hear  of 
her.  He  must  plunge  into  some  business  that  would 
absorb  his  time  and  attention.  But  before  he  went 
he  must  make  an  investment  and  make  it  at  once. 
In  order  to  do  so,  he  would  follow  Basil  Sequin's 
advice,  and  offer  his  bank  stock  for  sale  in  the  morn 
ing. 


298 


CHAPTER  XXI 

THERE  was  anxiety  in  the  drab  house  in  Col 
lege  Street.  The  second  day  of  Donald 
Morley's  trial  had  come  and  no  decision  .had  been 
reached.  Every  ring  of  the  telephone,  every  open 
ing  of  the  front  door  brought  a  hurrying  of  feet 
through  the  hall,  and  an  eager  demand  to  know  if 
there  was  any  news. 

"I'll  never  get  my  lessons!"  exclaimed  Hattie 
petulantly,  collecting  her  scattered  belongings  after 
one  of  these  rushes  to  the  door.  "  I  wish  to  Heaven 
one  of  my  fingers  was  a  lead  pencil !  " 

"  Why  don't  you  wish  your  tongue  was  one,  Hat, 
then  you  would  n't  have  to  sharpen  it,"  suggested 
Connie. 

"  I  bet  Miss  Lady  had  my  pencil,"  went  on  Hat- 
tie,  ignoring  Connie's  comment.  "  She 's  never 
owned  a  pair  of  scissors,  or  a  pencil,  or  a  shoe-but- 
toner  since  she  's  been  here.  And  look  at  those 
letters  on  the  mantel !  She  '11  never  think  about 
mailing  them." 

"What  are  they  doing  with  black  borders?" 

"  She  bought  a  job  lot  of  paper  the  other  day, 
299 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

all  colors  and  sizes,  trying  to  be  economical.     She 
uses  the  mourning  ones  to  pay  the  bills." 

"  Yes,  and  I  '11  have  to  be  putting  little  pink  love 
letters  in  big  blue  envelopes  all  winter.  Say,  Hat, 
do  you  suppose  it  would  be  all  right  if  I  called  up 
Mr.  Wicker  to  ask  him  how  the  trial  is  going?  " 

"Of  course  not.  We  '11  hear  as  soon  as  there  is 
anything  to  hear.  I  wish  you  'd  hush  talking  and 
let  me  study.'* 

Connie  heroically  refrained  from  speech  for  five 
minutes,  then  she  announced : 

"  Do  you  know,  I  don't  believe  Miss  Lady  likes 
him!" 

"Who?     Mr.  Wicker?" 

"  No,  you  silly,—  Don." 

"  When  did  you  stop  saying  Cousin  Don,  pray  ?  " 

"  Oh,  ages  ago.  She  's  always  so  quiet  when  he 
comes,  and  she  goes  up-stairs  the  first  chance  she 
gets.  I  think  she  's  changed  a  lot  since  she  first 
came,  don't  you?  " 

"  Well,  I  guess  you  'd  change,  too,  if  you  had 
married  a  sick  man  with  three  children,  as  poor  as 
poverty,  and  a  cook  as  cross  as  Myrtella." 

"  But  she  has  Myrtella  eating  out  of  her  hand. 
Imagine  my  marrying  a  man  as  old  as  Father !  " 

"  If  I  had  to  marry,  I  'd  rather  marry  Father  than 
anybody  else.  But  I  Ve  never  seen  the  man  yet  that 
I  'd  be  willing  to  marry." 

300 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  Oh,  I  have !  I  know  ten  right  now  that  I  'd 
marry  in  a  minute." 

"  Connie  Queerington !  Who  are  the  others  be 
side  Gerald  and  Cousin  Don?" 

"  Guess." 

"Noah  Wicker?" 

Connie  laughed.  "  Mr.  Wicker  is  not  as  bad  as 
he  was.  He  must  have  taken  chloroform  and  had 
his  pompadour  cut.  Don  says  he  is  awfully  clever." 

"  Anybody  could  be  clever  who  took  a  whole  day 
to  compose  each  speech.  I  '11  tell  you  what 's  the 
matter  with  Miss  Lady;  she  is  worrying  herself  sick 
over  Father.  Did  she  tell  you  what  Doctor  Wyeth 
told  her?" 

"  That  Father  would  have  to  give  up  his  classes, 
and  get  away  some  where?  But  of  course  he  can't 
do  it." 

"  But  he  can !  Miss  Lady  has  rented  Thornwood 
from  the  man  who  bought  it,  and  we  are  all  to  go 
out  there  this  spring." 

"  Heavens !  That  means  frogs  and  crickets  and 
whippoor wills,  and  a  lonesome  time  for  me." 

"  But  think  of  Father !  "  said  Hattie  with  her 
most  virtuous  air.  "  If  it 's  perfectly  quiet,  perhaps 
he  can  finish  his  book." 

"  No,  he  won't,"  said  Connie  petulantly.  "  He 
may  finish  himself,  but  he  '11  never  finish  that  book ; 
he  keeps  on  thinking  of  more  to  say,  just  like  Mr. 

301 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Melcher  does  when  he  prays.  If  it  were  n't  for  that 
stupid  old  book  he  might  get  well.  Was  that  the 
telephone?" 

It  proved  to  be  the  side-door  bell,  which  was  rung 
by  an  old  woman  who  had  lost  her  husband  and  her 
front  teeth,  and  was  engaged  in  the  precarious  occu 
pation  of  selling  shoe-strings.  She  was  one  of  the 
numerous  proteges,  who  began  to  call  on  Miss  Lady 
soon  after  breakfast,  and  kept  up  their  visits  through 
the  day,  to  the  exasperation  of  Myrtella  Flathers, 
who  spent  her  time  devising  means  to  rid  the  back 
hall  of  these  incumbrances. 

In  this  instance  strategy  was  not  required,  for 
she  was  bidden  to  send  the  woman  away.  Such 
an  unusual  proceeding  aroused  her  curiosity  and 
she  returned  to  the  dining-room  to  peep  through  the 
door  at  her  young  mistress,  who  had  been  sitting 
motionless  since  breakfast  with  her  elbows  on  the 
table,  and  her  hands  locked  under  her  chin.  It  was 
evident  that  something  was  wrong,  and  Myrtella 
became  so  concerned  that  she  at  last  decided  to  take 
action.  The  panacea  she  applied  to  all  ailments, 
moral  or  physical,  was  a  counter-irritant. 

"  Mis'  Squeerington !  "  she  ventured  finally.  "  I 
hope  you  ain't  fergot  that  it 's  Saturday  mornin' 
an'  you  'd  orter  row  the  grocery  man.  He  's  a 
cortion,  that 's  what  he  is,  a-sendin'  us  Mis'  Ivy's 
ribs,  an'  Mis'  Logan's  liver.  It  ain't  a  decent  way 

302 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

to  treat  a  old  customer,  an'  he  orter  be  told  so. 
There  never  was  a  grocery  man  that  was  born  into 
the  world  that  did  n't  have  to  be  rowed !  They  ex 
pect  it,  they  look  fer  it,  an'  when  they  don't  get  it 
they  feel  it." 

"  I  can't  '  row  '  people,  Myrtella ;  I  don't  know 
how,"  said  Miss  Lady  listlessly. 

"  I  '11  learn  you.  You  Ve  picked  up  a  lot  more 
already  than  anybody  would  'a'  supposed  you  would 
when  you  first  come.  But  one  thing  you  ain't 
learned.  When  a  lady  goes  to  smilin'  over  the  tele 
phone,  an'  tellin'  the  butcher  that  she  don't  know 
one  cut  from  another  but  she  '11  trust  him  to  send 
her  a  nice  piece,  you  kin  count  on  it  she  's  goin'  to 
git  a  gristle.  Compliments  an'  smiles  may  git  some 
things,  but  it  takes  rowin'  an'  back-talk  to  git  a  good 
beefsteak!" 

"  I  think  I  '11  send  you  to  the  grocery  to-day, 
Myrtella, —  it  —  it  may  rain." 

"  It  ain't  goin'  to  rain  before  noon,"  Myrtella  said 
authoritatively,  in  a  tone  that  indicated  her  intention 
of  stopping  it  immediately  if  it  showed  any  inten 
tion  of  doing  so.  "  It  '11  do  you  good  to  git  out  and 
walk  a  spell." 

Miss  Lady  shook  her  head. 

"  Well,  then  you  better  let  me  send  Bertie  down 
here,  he  's  makin'  a  awful  racket  in  the  nursery  an' 
his  pa  '11  be  after  him  soon." 

303 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Bertie  was  induced  to  abandon  a  life  of  adventure 
on  the  footboard  of  his  bed,  by  the  suggestion  that 
Miss  Lady  had  something  to  tell  him  in  the  dining- 
room.  He  came  tearing  through  the  hall  shouting, 
"  Extras,"  at  the  top  of  his  voice. 

"  Bertie,  darling !  Please  don't,"  cried  Miss  Lady 
roused  from  her  apathy.  "  Remember  it 's  Satur 
day  and  Father  's  home." 

"  I  wish  he  was  n't,"  said  Bertie.  "  I  hate  a  tip 
toe  house!  When  can  I  call  extras?  " 

"  When  we  get  up  to  Thornwood.  You  and  I 
will  play  all  over  the  hills,  and  I  '11  teach  you  to  be 
a  real  country  boy." 

"  And  can  Chick  be  there,  too?  " 

"  Yes,  and  perhaps  by  that  time  Chick  will  have 
been  to  the  hospital  and  can  talk  like  other  boys." 

Bertie  was  standing  on  the  back  of  her  chair  by 
this  time,  apparently  trying  to  strangle  her. 

"  And  can  we  slide  down  the  ice-house  like  you 
used  to  do?  And  will  Uncle  Jimpson  call  up  the 
doodle-bugs  out  of  the  ground  like  he  did  when  you 
was  a  little  girl?" 

"  Listen !  "  cried  Miss  Lady  suddenly  starting  up. 
"What  is  that?" 

From  the  far  end  of  the  street  came  the  sound, 
"  Wuxtry !  Here  's  your  Wuxtry !  All  about  — " 

"  It 's  just  the  newsboy  I  was  being  like,"  said 
304 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Bertie.  "  What 's  the  matter  ? .  What  makes  you 
shake  so,  Miss  Lady  ?  " 

Myrtella  thrust  her  head  in  the  door.  "  Here 
comes  that  there  Mrs.  Ivy  running  'cross  the  yard. 
She 's  good  fer  a  hour." 

But  Mrs.  Ivy  did  not  seem  to  be  good  for  any 
thing  by  the  time  Miss  Lady  reached  her.  She  was 
half  reclining  on  a  haircloth  sofa  in  the  front  hall 
with  a  bottle  of  smelling  salts  to  her  nose  and  a  news 
paper  in  her  hand. 

"  Oh,  my  dear!"  she  managed  to  gasp.  "  Such 
a  frightful  shock!  So  utterly  unexpected!  " 

"  Do  you  mean  Don  ?  "  Miss  Lady's  lips  scarcely 
moved  as  she  asked  the  question. 

"  No,  the  bank !  I  was  all  alone  in  the  house 
when  I  heard  the  boys  calling  the  extras  —  Ah !  my 
poor  weak  heart !  " 

"  Brandy?  "  suggested  Miss  Lady  anxiously. 

Mrs.  Ivy  raised  feeble  but  protesting  eyes: 
"  Never!  The  Angel  of  Death  shall  never  find  me 
with  the  odor  of  liquor  on  my  lips.  Could  you  send 
for  some  nitroglycerin  ?  " 

By  the  time  Mrs.  Ivy  was  revived,  Connie  and 
Hattie  had  joined  the  group  in  the  hall,  and  the  lat 
ter  was  reading  aloud  in  awe-struck  tones  the  ac 
count  of  the  People's  Bank  failure.  The  age  and 
reputation  of  the  institution  and  the  prominence  of 

305 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Basil  Sequin  as  a  local  financier  gave  the  subject 
grave  significance. 

"  And  to  think  that  I  should  be  involved !  "  wailed 
Mrs.  Ivy.  "  I  Ve  only  been  treasurer  of  the  W.  A. 
Board  for  six  weeks  and  this  was  my  first  invest 
ment  !  They  told  me  to  use  my  judgment,  and  I  did 
the  best  I  could !  Only  last  Thursday  I  went  to  see 
Mr.  Gilson  the  broker,  you  know,  about  investing 
the  money  we  're  collecting  for  building  the  Parish 
House.  He  said  I  had  come  at  the  right  moment 
as  he  had  just  gotten  hold  of  some  of  the  People's 
Bank  stock,  '  gilt  edged,'  he  called  it,  and  I  remem 
ber  just  what  I  said  to  him,  I  said,  *  Mr.  Gilson,  I 
simply  let  Providence  lead  me,  and  it  led  me  to  your 
door! '  and  I  bought  it!  "  sobbed  Mrs.  Ivy;  "  forty 
shares ! " 

"  I  suppose  Father  's  lost  awfully,"  said  Hattie, 
sitting  round  eyed  and  anxious  on  the  steps. 

"  And  all  the  Sequins,  and  Don,"  added  Connie. 

"  It  says  that  all  the  stockholders  and  most  of  the 
depositors  stand  to  lose  heavily,"  said  Miss  Lady, 
scanning  the  paper ;  "  I  must  tell  the  Doctor  at 
once." 

She  sped  up  the  steps  and  knocked  breathlessly  at 
his  study  door.  It  was  only  at  the  second  knock 
that  she  was  bidden  to  enter. 

The  Doctor  sat  at  his  desk  in  a  long,  gray  dress 
ing-gown,  with  a  rug  across  his  knees :  around  him 

306 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

were  ranged  several  straight-backed  chairs  on  which 
were  spread  hundreds  of  pages  of  closely  written 
manuscript.  At  his  elbow  on  a  stand  was  an  im 
mense  dictionary,  from  which  he  lifted  a  pair  of 
absorbed  and  preoccupied  eyes. 

"  Doctor !  "  Miss  Lady  burst  out  impetuously, 
"  the  Bank  has  failed  —  the  paper  says  — " 
?  "  If  you  please !  "  the  Doctor  raised  an  imploring 
hand ;  "  don't  tell  me  now.  The  news  will  keep  and 
I  am  in  a  most  critical  stage  of  my  summary.  To 
day's  work  is  important,  very  important.  Kindly 
close  the  door." 

Miss  Lady  stood  in  the  hall  without  and  stared 
at  the  drab-colored  wallpaper.  A  fierce  anger  rose 
in  her,  not  against  the  Doctor,  but  against  that  vam 
pire  work  which  was  sucking  all  the  vitality  and 
sympathy  and  understanding  out  of  him.  She  was 
eager  to  bear  his  burdens ;  she  was  willing  to  fight  his 
battles ;  but  it  was  hard  to  take  his  side  single-handed 
against  herself.  She  wanted  love,  and  affection  and 
sympathy,  and  she  wanted  a  manly  shoulder  to  weep 
on  when  the  way  became  too  hard.  But  the  Doc 
tor's  slanting,  scholarly  shoulder  afforded  no  rest 
ing-place  for  a  world-weary  head. 

"  Mis'  Squeerington !  "  called  Myrtella  from  the 
lower  floor.  "  The  grocery  man  did  n't  have  no 
beets,  and  his  new  potatoes  is  hard  as  rocks,  an'  if 
I  was  you  I  'd  go  over  to  Smithers  jes'  to  spite  him 

307 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

out  fer  a  spell.  And  I  fergot  to  tell  you  that  that 
there  Mr.  Wicker  called  you  up  a  hour  ago,  an' 
sez  the  case  was  lost.  I  don't  know  what  he  meant. 
I  hope  he  ain't  lost  it  'round  here.  Next  thing  I 
hear  they  '11  be  sayin'  I  took  it!  " 


308 


CHAPTER  XXII 

IT  is  a  depressing  law  of  life  that  worries  in 
variably  hunt  in  packs.  If  it  were  just  a  mat 
ter  of  one  yelping  little  annoyance  that  barked  at 
your  heels,  you  could  frighten  it  away  with  a  laugh ; 
but  when  a  ravenous  horde  gets  on  your  trail  with 
the  grim  determination  of  running  you  to  earth,  it 
is  quite  a  different  matter. 

Donald  Morley,  pacing  the  terrace  at  Angora 
Heights  on  a  certain  dark  night  in  March,  felt  the 
breath  of  the  pursuing  pack  close  upon  him.  The 
failure  to  win  his  case  had  been  a  serious  blow  not 
only  to  his  pride,  but  to  his  faith  in  his  fellow  man. 
He  had  gone  into  the  trial  with  the  assured  con 
fidence  of  an  innocent  man  who  is  still  young  enough 
to  rely  absolutely  upon  the  justice  of  the  law.  In 
spite  of  the  array  of  damaging  evidence  presented 
by  the  prosecuting  attorney,  and  the  opinionated 
egotism  of  Mr.  Gooch  which  rendered  him  un 
popular  with  judge  and  jury,  Donald's  victory  was 
almost  assured,  when  the  rumor  of  the  People's 
Bank  failure  swept  the  court  room.  In  the  instant 
wave  of  suspicion  that  rose  against  Basil  Sequin, 

309 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Donald's  cause  was  lost.  Half  the  men  on  the  jury 
were  directly,  or  indirectly,  involved.  The  case 
was  summarily  disposed  of  and  the  smaller  matter 
swallowed  up  in  the  larger. 

Humiliated  and  chagrined  as  Donald  was  over  his 
own  position,  he  was  equally  concerned  about  the 
bank.  The  papers  were  full  of  disturbing  innuen 
does;  people  avoided  speaking  of  it  in  his  presence; 
distrust  and  suspicion  lurked  around  the  corners. 

Donald  paused  at  the  end  of  the  terrace  and 
looked  up  at  the  dark  massive  pile  of  masonry  above 
him.  In  every  leering  gargoyle  and  carved  coping, 
he  read  the  ruin  of  some  humble  home. 

At  the  first  hint  of  impending  trouble,  Mrs.  Se 
quin  had  taken  Margery  and  fled  to  Europe,  leaving 
Mr.  Sequin  fighting  with  his  back  to  the  wall  to 
meet  the  difficulties  into  which  her  extravagance  had 
plunged  him.  "  I  have  no  fear  for  Basil,"  she  as 
sured  her  friends  on  leaving.  "  He  '11  straighten 
things  out.  Of  course  he  '11  be  talked  about,  clever 
people  always  are,  and  the  directors  have  been  rather 
nasty.  But  he  '11  control  the  situation  yet,  you  '11 
see." 

And  Mrs.  Sequin's  confidence  was  being  justified. 
Basil  Sequin  was  controlling  the  situation.  He  had 
emerged  from  the  ruin  with  his  finances  less  af 
fected  than  his  reputation. 

Each  time  that  Donald  turned  at  the  end  of  the 
310 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

long  terrace,  his  eyes  involuntarily  sought  a  light 
that  gleamed  far  below  through  the  bare  trunks  of 
the  trees.  It  was  the  light  from  Thornwood  that 
once  more  threw  its  familiar  beams  across  the  Cane 
Run  Road  and  up  the  gentle  slope  of  Billy-goat 
Hill.  He  rested  his  arms  on  the  balustrade  and 
stood  looking  out  into  the  night.  There  was  a  soft 
ness  in  the  air,  a  smell  of  upturned  earth,  a  faint 
whispering  among  the  newly  budded  treetops  that 
hinted  of  things  about  to  be  revealed. 

Suddenly  there  was  a  strange  fluttering  in  the  air 
above  him,  a  tremulous,  expectant  thrill.  Looking 
up  he  saw  a  flock  of  birds,  wheeling  and  circling 
above  him,  making  ready  to  light.  Night  after 
night  they  had  traveled,  over  forests  and  across 
dark  rivers,  valiantly  beating  their  frail  wings 
against  the  gale,  one  purpose  urging  them  on, 
straight  as  an  arrow  through  the  silent  air, —  the 
longing  to  find  their  old  haunts  under  the  friendly 
shelter  of  the  Hill,  and  there  to  keep  their  love 
trysts  in  the  place  called  home. 

Donald's  throat  contracted  sharply.  Never  in 
those  tumultuous  days  in  Japan,  nor  in  those  des 
perate  ones  in  Singapore  had  he  wanted  Miss  Lady 
as  he  wanted  her  now.  It  was  not  her  youth  or 
her  beauty  that  he  was  thinking  of ;  it  was  the  firm 
confident  clasp  of  her  hand,  the  unfaltering  courage 
of  her  eyes,  her  words,  "  I  do  believe  in  you,  Don, 

[311 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

with  all  my  heart  and  soul."  He  was  like  a  starving 
man  who  must  have  bread  even  if  it  belongs  to  an 
other.  Before  he  knew  it  he  was  plunging  down  the 
footpath  to  the  road. 

Connie  would  be  his  excuse,  although  he  had  been 
rather  conscience-stricken  about  Connie  of  late. 
She  had  developed  a  taste  for  exploring  that  be 
guiling  land  of  Flirtation  where  the  boundary  lines 
have  never  been  defined,  and  dangers  are  known  to 
lurk  beyond  the  borders.  As  an  old  and  experienced 
adventurer  he  felt  that  he  had  already  accompanied 
her  too  far. 

As  he  reached  Thornwood's  big  colonial  gateway, 
he  found  some  one  alighting  from  a  buggy. 

"Hello,  Wick!"  he  said.  "Wait,  I'll  open  it 
for  you.  I  thought  you  were  staying  in  town !  " 

Noah  removed  a  pair  of  unmistakably  new  tan 
gloves  and  opened  the  gate  for  himself. 

"  I  am  staying  in  town,"  he  said  distantly.  "  Are 
you  coming  in  here?  " 

"Yes,.  I  think  I  will  drop  in  for  a  little  while, 
unless  you  have  an  engagement?" 

Noah's  pause  was  even  longer  than  usual.  "  No," 
he  drawled  presently.  "  I  can't  say  I  have.  Will 
you  get  in?  " 

Donald  could  not  suppress  a  smile  as  he  got  in 
beside  him,  and  noticed  the  grandeur  of  his  toilet. 

312 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  You  are  getting  awfully  dressy  these  days,  old 
chap.  Who's  the  girl?" 

"  You  know  who  it  is." 

"  You  surely  don't  mean  Connie  Queerington ! 
Now,  Wick,  you  want  to  go  slow  and  not  trifle  with 
that  girl.  The  first  thing  you  know  she  will  be 
falling  in  love  with  you." 

Noah's  lip  stiffened.  "If  you  would  leave  her 
alone  perhaps  she  might." 

"What  am  I  doing?" 

"  The  same  thing  you  Ve  always  done.  Going 
with  a  girl  just  long  enough  to  spoil  her  for  every 
other  fellow,  then  going  off  and  forgetting  all  about 
her." 

Donald  looked  in  amazement  at  the  angry  face 
beside  him. 

"  What  in  thunder  do  you  mean  by  that,  Wick?  " 

"  What  I  say.  I  guess  it  has  n't  been  so  long  ago 
that  we  Ve  both  forgotten  another  instance." 

"  See  here,  Wick,"  said  Donald,  his  anger  rising, 
"  you  'd  better  drop  this.  You  don't  know  what 
you  are  talking  about." 

"  I  know  you  spoiled  my  chances  once  and  you 
are  not  going  to  spoil  them  again.  You  Ve  got  to 
leave  Miss  Connie  alone.  You  Ve  got  to  promise 


me—" 


I  promise  you  nothing." 
313 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

They  had  reached  the  hitching  block  and  Donald 
got  out  of  the  buggy  and,  not  waiting  for  his  com 
panion,  went  up  the  walk  to  the  house.  The  peace 
of  the  old  place  wrapped  him  round  like  the  folds 
of  a  warm  garment.  He  forgot  Noah,  and  the  pur 
suing  troubles;  he  forgot  everything  except  that 
Thornwood,  with  all  its  memories  and  traditions, 
was  for  the  present  his,  held  in  sacred  trust  until 
that  time  when  he  could  give  it  back  to  the  one  who 
loved  it  best. 

"  Why,  it 's  Cousin  Don !  "  cried  Connie  who  had 
heard  the  wheels  and  come  to  investigate.  "  I  never 
was  so  glad  to  see  anybody  in  my  life.  I  thought 
it  was  Mr.  Wicker! " 

"  Cheer  up !     He  's  hitching  his  horse  at  the  block 


now." 


"  How  tiresome!  I  thought  we  left  him  in  town 
yesterday.  I  don't  believe  you  are  a  bit  glad  to 
have  us  for  a  neighbor.  Why  did  n't  you  come  over 
last  night  ?  I  have  n't  seen  you  for  four  days !  " 

"  You  have  n't  missed  anything,  Connie.  I  've 
been  down  and  out." 

"  Everybody  has !  It 's  too  stupid  for  words. 
Since  the  trial  and  the  bank  failure  I  have  n't  been 
able  to  get  a  smile  out  of  anybody!  I  hope  the 
Turtle  won't  be  grumpy." 

"Who  is  the  Turtle?" 

3H 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  Mr.  Wicker.  Hat  calls  him  that,  because  he 
never  lets  go  'til  it  thunders.  Aren't  you  coming 
in  the  parlor?  " 

"  No,  I  '11  give  Wick  the  field  to-night.  I  want 
to  see  your  Father  on  business." 

"That  sounds  interesting!"  said  Connie  auda 
ciously.  "  You  might  have  spoken  to  me  first !  " 

The  Doctor  was  preparing  to  go  up  to  bed  when 
Donald  entered  the  sitting-room,  but  he  put  down 
his  candle  and  greeted  him  warmly. 

"  A  phenix  rising  from  his  ashes !  "  he  said.  "  I 
am  glad  to  see  that  you  have  survived  the  trials  of 
the  past  ten  days.  It  is  very  kind  of  you  to  come 
over  in  the  midst  of  your  trouble  to  welcome  us  to 
our  new  quarters.  You  are  not  going  to  leave  us, 
my  dear  ? "  this  to  Miss  Lady  who  had  risen  at 
Donald's  entrance. 

"  I  was  going  to  get  your  beef-tea." 

"  Oh,  to  be  sure.  I  can't  begin  to  tell  you,  Don 
ald,  how  much  I  regret  the  decision  in  your  case. 
How  did  it  happen  ?  " 

Donald,  whose  hungry  eyes  were  devouring  every 
familiar  detail  of  the  homely  fire-lit  room,  shrugged 
his  shoulders.  "  Eleven  jury-men  were  for  ac 
quittal,  I  am  told,  and  the  twelfth,  a  fellow  named 
Jock  Hibben  talked  them  over." 

"  Jock   Hibben  ?     I   know   the   man.     A   radical 

315 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Socialist  who  has  been  giving  us  some  trouble  at 
the  university.  Quite  an  orator,  I  believe,  but  a 
fanatic.  You  have  made  a  motion  for  a  new  trial  ?  " 

"  It  has  been  refused." 

"  Indeed!     And  you  appeal  it,  of  course?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  The  decision  is  bound  to  be  reversed,"  the 
Doctor  assured  him,  "  and  the  second  trial  will  go 
in  your  favor.  I  have  never  doubted  the  ultimate 
outcome.  What  is  that  scratching  noise?  " 

Miss  Lady,  who  was  just  entering,  paused  to 
listen,  then  she  suddenly  set  the  cup  she  carried  on 
the  table,  and  flung  open  the  door. 

A  long,  shaggy,  disheveled  dog,  with  small,  sad 
eyes,  and  a  stub  of  a  tail,  hurled  himself  upon  her, 
and  began  rapturously  to  lick  her  hands. 

"  It 's  Mike,"  she  cried  joyously,  sitting  on  the 
floor  and  gathering  her  muddy  visitor  into  her  arms. 
"  I  knew  he  'd  find  out  we  were  home.  Oh !  you 
blessed,  blessed  dog!" 

Mike,  unable  to  restrain  his  transports,  made  a 
mad  tour  of  the  room,  upsetting  the  stack  of  manu 
script  that  the  Doctor  had  neatly  arranged  on  a 
stand  beside  him.  On  his  second  round  he  dis 
covered  the  visitor  whom  he  sniffed  with  increasing 
excitement. 

Donald  raised  a  forefinger,  and  tapped  his  knee. 
In  an  instant  Mike  remembered.  Lifting  his  fore- 

316 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

paws,  and  dropping  his  head  upon  them,  he  answered 
the  call  to  prayer. 

Two  pairs  of  eyes  met  involuntarily,  and  the 
owners  smiled. 

"  Do  put  him  out,  my  dear,"  urged  the  Doctor, 
who  had  stooped  to  pick  up  the  scattered  sheets  of 
his  manuscript.  "  This  is  the  last  volume  of  my 
series,  Donald.  You  remember  I  was  collecting 
data  for  it  when  you  were  at  the  university.  I  had 
expected  to  publish  it  this  spring,  but  it  will  have  to 
be  postponed  now." 

Donald  winced.  "  On  account  of  the  bank 
failure,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"  Well,  yes.  Basil  advises  a  curtailment  of  all 
expenditure  for  the  present.  However,  it  may  be 
just  as  well  to  publish  in  the  fall.  That  will  give 
me  three  more  months  on  the  revision." 

"  I  hope  you  were  not  seriously  involved, 
Doctor?" 

"  No,  no,  I  imagine  not,"  said  the  Doctor  vaguely 
as  he  made  a  marginal  correction  on  one  of  the 
sheets.  "  Basil  and  I  have  been  so  much  occupied 
that  we  have  scarcely  had  a  chance  to  discuss  the 
matter.  He  said  I  might  possibly  lose  something, 
but  that  he  would  protect  my  interests.  I  trust  you 
are  not  one  of  the  losers?  " 

"No,"  Donald  said  shortly,  "I  lost  nothing." 
Then  after  a  pause  during  which  he  stared  at  the 

317 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

floor,  he  looked  up.  "  Doctor,  I  want  to  consult 
you  about  something.  Your  standards  of  right  and 
wrong  seem  to  me  a  bit  surer  than  most  people's. 
I  'm  in  trouble  and  I  want  your  advice." 

He  was  looking  at  the  Doctor  as  he  spoke,  but  he 
was  acutely  conscious  of  the  slender  figure  that  stood 
with  her  back  to  them  before  the  open  fire. 

'  You  see,"  he  said,  plunging  into  his  subject, 
"  a  week  before  the  bank  failed  I  found  that  I 
might  need  a  lot  of  ready  money  before  I  got 
through  with  the  trial.  So  I  sold  all  my  People's 
Bank  stock." 

"  That  was  fortunate." 

"  But,  Doctor !  Don't  you  see  ?  At  the  time  I 
sold  the  shares  they  weren't  worth  the  paper  they 
were  printed  on !  " 

"  But  you  were  ignorant  of  this." 

"Of  course;  but  does  that  alter  the  fact  that  I 
took  money  for  stock  that  was  worthless?  " 

The  Doctor  rubbed  his  hands  together  thought 
fully.  For  once  he  was  not  prepared  to  give  an 
immediate  answer  to  a  question  concerning  a  moral 
issue. 

"  On  the  spur  of  the  moment  I  should  advise  you 
to  refund  the  money,  but  I  do  not  know  if  such  ad 
vice  is  wise.  The  fact  is,  neither  you  nor  I  are 
sufficiently  versed  in  financial  matters  to  know  what 

318 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

is  customary  in  such  cases.  What  does  your 
brother-in-law  advise?  " 

"  I  have  had  no  conversation  with  him  since  the 
bank  failed.  He  stays  in  town  nearly  every  night, 
and  you  can  imagine  what  his  days  are." 

"  Well,  I  should  put  the  matter  before  him,  ex 
plain  my  scruples,  and  then  act  unquestioningly  on 
his  advice.  It  has  been  my  rule  in  life,  when  my 
own  judgment  did  not  suffice,  to  consult  the  highest 
available  authority  upon  that  given  subject  and  abide 
by  it.  Basil  Sequin,  in  spite  of  this  unfortunate 
failure,  is  undoubtedly  our  ablest  financier.  I  can 
only  bid  you  do  as  I  have  done;  leave  everything 
entirely  to  him." 

"  I  should  n't !  "  cried  Miss  Lady,  wheeling  about 
with  a  return  of  her  old,  childlike,  impetuous  man 
ner;  "I  shouldn't  leave  it  to  anybody.  I'd  buy 
back  the  stock,  every  share  of  it.  I  would  n't  keep 
money  for  which  I  'd  given  nothing!  You  ought 
to  see  Miss  Ferney  Foster !  She  bought  bank  stock 
only  last  week ;  gave  all  the  money  she  'd  made  on 
her  pickles  for  ten  years,  and  when  she  found  the 
bank  had  failed,  she  went  out  of  her  head.  I  've 
been  there  to-day  and  she  did  n't  know  me." 

"Who  sold  her  the  stock?" 

"  A  broker  named  Gilson." 

"  It  was  my  stock,"  Donald  cried.     "Of  course 

319 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

she  's  got  to  be  paid  back !  And  all  the  rest  of  them. 
I  '11  buy  back  every  share  of  it,  if  it  takes  my  last 
dollar!" 

"  Will  it  take  all  you  have  ?  "  Miss  Lady  scanned 
his  face  anxiously. 

"  Yes,  and  more.  I  made  an  investment  with 
some  of  the  money  before  I  knew  the  bank  was  in 
trouble;  then  there's  the  double  liability  law.  It 
would  n't  matter  so  much  if  it  were  n't  for  the  trial." 

"  Your  sister,  of  course,  will  be  ready  to  help  you. 
Or  has  she,  too,  lost?" 

"  No,"  said  Donald,  his  lips  tightening,  "  she 
has  n't  lost.  She  's  had  no  stock  in  the  bank  for 
a  year.  But  I  shan't  call  upon  her." 

"  Because  she  opposed  your  course  so  violently  ? 
Oh,  I  see.  A  point  of  honor  on  which  I  quite  agree 
with  you.  But  you  are  not  going  under,  Donald. 
We  will  see  to  that.  I  am  not  a  wealthy  man,  as 
you  know.  There  have  been  times  recently  when 
the  future  looked  very  dark.  But  this  little  lady  has 
steered  us  into  calmer  waters.  If  you  should,  in 
the  course  of  the  next  few  months,  be  in  need  of 
a  reasonable  sum,  I  am  happy  to  say  we  will  be  in 
a  position  to  accommodate  you." 

Donald  gripped  his  hand.  "  I  shan't  call  on  you, 
Doctor.  But  once  I  'm  through  with  this  accursed 
trial,  I  '11  try  to  justify  your  belief  in  me." 

The  tall  clock  in  the  hall  gave  a  preliminary 
320 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

wheeze,  then  hiccoughed  nine  times  violently.  The 
Doctor  carefully  arranged  his  voluminous  papers  in 
a  shabby,  brown  portfolio,  and  rose  with  an  effort. 

"  You  will  excuse  me  now  if  I  bid  you  good 
night?  My  physician  has  become  rather  arbitrary 
in  regulating  my  hours.  Keep  up  your  courage,  my 
boy ;  that  courage  that  *  scorns  to  bend  to  mean  de 
vices  for  a  sordid  end/  I  admire  the  course  you 
have  taken,  I  admire  you.  Good  night  to  you  both." 

They  watched  him  go,  with  his  tall/  stooped 
figure,  and  his  fine,  serious  eyes  that  saw  life  only 
through  the  stultifying  medium  of  books.  Then 
they  looked  at  each  other. 

"  I  '11  call  Connie,"  Miss  Lady  said,  moving  to  the 
door. 

"  Just  a  minute,  please." 

She  came  back  reluctantly,  and  stood  with  her 
hands  clasped  on  the  back  of  a  chair,  breathing 
quickly. 

"  Do  you  remember,"  Donald  asked,  standing  in 
front  of  her  and  speaking  in  a  low,  tense  voice,  "  the 
last  time  we  stood  in  this  room,  and  the  promises 
I  made  you  ?  Well,  I  Ve  kept  them.  I  Ve  fought 
like  the  devil, —  You  don't  know  what  it  means,  you 
can't  know.  But  I  Ve  kept  them.  Now  I  want  to 
tell  you  that  I  've  got  to  break  over.  You  are  right 
about  the  bank-stock  money.  It 's  not  mine.  I  '11 
pay  it  back  to-morrow.  But  more  money  has  to 

321 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

come  from  somewhere  to  carry  on  the  trial. 
There  's  only  one  chance  I  can  think  of.  I  Ve  got 
to  enter  Lickety  Split  for  the  Derby." 

"  No,  you  have  n't !  There  are  other  ways.  You 
must  go  to  work." 

"Work!"  he  broke  out  fiercely.  "Haven't  I 
been  trying  to  get  a  position  ever  since  I  came  home  ? 
Who  wants  to  tie  up  to  me  until  this  cursed  case  is 
decided  ?  I  have  been  trying  to  write,  but  my  things 
come  back  faster  than  I  can  send  them  out.  What 
am  I  good  for?  A  game  at  billiards,  sixty  miles  an 
hour  in  a  motor  car,  a  lark  with  any  idler  that  hap 
pens  in  the  club.  Bah!  I  'm  sick  of  having  people 
patronize  me  because  I  am  not  in  the  game,  because 
I  Ve  never  earned  a  penny,  except  by  gambling,  in 
my  life!" 

"But  that's  all  behind  you,  Don!  You've  got 
the  rest  of  your  life  to  live  differently.  When  the 
case  is  decided — " 

"Yes,  and  suppose  it  goes  against  me?  It  did 
before,  it  may  again.  Talk  about  justice  and  truth ! 
I  've  failed  to  find  them.  I  've  had  enough  of  this 
glorious  thing  called  life;  I  'm  ready  to  quit." 

"  You  can't  quit,  Don!  "  She  said  it  softly,  with 
the  firelight  flushing  her  eager,  solicitous  face. 
"  Don't  you  suppose  we  all  want  to  quit  sometimes? 
We  've  just  got  to  take  a  fresh  grip  on  our  courage 

322 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

and  fight  it  out.  I  'm  in  trouble  myself,  to-night, 
Don.  Will  you  help  me?  " 

His  eyes  flew  to  hers  as  he  half  knelt  on  the  chair 
before  her. 

"  I  've  sold  Thornwood,"  she  went  on,  her  lips 
trembling.  "  I  can  hardly  speak  of  it,  even  yet.  I 
feel  like  a  traitor  to  Daddy,  to  all  the  Carseys  who 
ever  lived  here,  to  myself!  You  know  what  the 
place  means  to  me.  I  believe  I  should  die  if  I  ever 
saw  any  one  else  living  here!  I  don't  know  who 
bought  it,  I  don't  want  to  know.  All  I  know  is  that 
I  Ve  been  perfectly  wretched  every  hour  since  I 
signed  the  paper,  until  just  now  when  the  Doctor 
offered  to  lend  you  the  money.  Oh !  Don,  if  I 
thought  selling  Thornwood  meant  that  we  could  help 
clear  your  name,  there  'd  never  be  another  instant  of 
regret !  You  '11  let  us  help  you  ?  " 

He  put  up  his  hand  as  if  to  ward  off  a  blow : 
"  Don't,"  he  said  harshly.  "  I  can't  take  your  help. 
I  can't  even  take  your  friendship,  or  the  Doctor's. 
Don't  you  see  that  I  'm  going  through  hell  ?  Don't 
you  know  that  I  love  you  ?  " 

The  color  left  her  face,  and  her  eyes  wavered  a 
moment,  then  steadied. 

"  You  must  never  say  that  again,  Don !  You 
must  try  not  to  think  of  it.  I  '11  forgive  you  because 
I  want  you  to  forgive  me  for  something.  You 

323 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

know  the  letter  you  sent  me  from  San  Francisco? 
I  burned  it,  unopened,  right  there  where  you  are 
standing  now.  It  was  a  cowardly  thing  to  do,  even 
though  I  thought  you  were  in  the  wrong.  If  I  had 
known  the  truth  I  never  would  have  kept  silent  all 
those  months.  It  was  a  great  wrong  I  did  you, 
Don ;  can  you  forgive  me  ?  " 

He  studied  her  face,  as  if  he  would  by  sheer 
intensity  probe  those  luminous  eyes  that  said  every 
thing  and  nothing.  At  last  his  head  dropped. 

"  I  was  a  fool  ever  to  think  you  cared,"  he  said 
brokenly ;  "  I  knew  I  was  n't  good  enough  for  you. 
I  knew  it  from  the  first,  but  I  tried.  Shall  I  keep 
on  trying  for  your  sake  ?  " 

"  No,  Don,  not  for  mine.  For  your  own,  and 
for  the  sake  of  the  girl  you  '11  some  day  make  your 
wife.  But  I  want  you  to  remember  that  I  shall  feel 
responsible  for  whatever  happens  to  you.  If  you 
give  up  the  fight  and  go  back  to  the  old  life,  I  shall 
know  it  was  because  I  failed  you;  if  you  succeed, 
as  I  believe  you  will,  I  shall  be  happy  always  in 
knowing  that  I  had  a  little  part  in  it.  Shall  we  say 
good  night  ?  " 

He  took  the  hand  she  offered  him  and  one  of 
those  silences  followed  which  once  having  passed 
between  a  man  and  woman,  is  remembered  above  all 
spoken  words,  a  silence  in  which  all  barriers  fall 

324 


was  a  great  wrong  I  did  you   Don,  can  you  forgive  me?" 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

away,  and  soul  speaks  to  soul.     It  was  like  a  great 
harmony  quivering  with  beautiful  things  unsaid. 

He  left  her  standing  in  the  firelight,  her  eyes 
shining  strangely  in  her  otherwise  passive  face.  He 
closed  the  door  resolutely  on  the  light  and  warmth 
of  the  homelike,  cheery  room,  and  passing  out  to 
the  road,  miserably  turned  his  steps  toward  the 
empty  grandeur  of  the  big  house  whose  turreted  and 
gabled  roof  broke  the  sky -line  at  the  top  of  the  Hill. 


327 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

IN  two  of  the  gloomiest  and  dirtiest  little  rooms 
in  the  dirtiest  and  gloomiest  of  little  streets  that 
dangle  at  loose  ends  from  the  courthouse  yard,  Mr. 
Gooch  had  his  office.  It  was  a  small  dark  place 
that  suggested  nothing  so  much  as  an  overflowing 
scrap-basket.  Papers  littered  the  table,  and  spilled 
out  of  every  pigeon-hole  of  the  old  secretary;  papers 
lay  in  stacks  along  the  book-shelves,  and  bulged 
from  fat  envelopes  on  the  mantel-shelf.  Over  and 
above  and  under  all  lay  the  undisturbed  dust  of 
months. 

In  the  corner  which  was  reduced  to  perpetual 
twilight  by  the  proximity  of  the  jail  wall  adjoining, 
Noah  Wicker  sat  on  his  high  stool,  and  by  the  as 
sistance  of  a  solitary  swinging  light,  excavated  lumps 
of  legal  lore  from  the  mines  of  wisdom  about  him. 
To  one  who  had  not  seen  Noah  since  his  first  days 
of  attorney  ship,  he  presented  an  unfamiliar  appear 
ance.  His  feet,  still  hooked  awkwardly  under  the 
rung  of  the  stool,  were  shod  in  patent  leather  shoes 
of  a  style  so  pronounced  that  they  rendered  him 
slightly  pigeon-toed.  His  clothes  were  of  the  most 

328 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

approved  cut,  and  his  hosiery  reflected  the  hue  of 
his  tie. 

His  hair,  only,  was  reminiscent  of  the  country 
youth  who  had  emerged  from  the  law  school  a  short 
time  before,  in  store  clothes  and  creaking  boots. 
A  front  lock  that  has  been  assiduously  urged  to 
stand  up  for  many  years,  is  not  inclined  to  sit  down 
at  the  first  whim  of  its  owner.  It  has  reached  an 
age  of  independence,  and  is  inclined  to  insist  upon 
its  rights. 

Noah,  alone  in  the  office  one  spring  day,  surrepti 
tiously  took  from  his  desk  a  small  object,  which 
he  held  in  the  palm  of  his  broad  hand,  and  studied 
minutely.  When  the  rays  from  the  swinging  elec 
tric  happened  to  strike  it,  it  sent  spots  of  light 
dancing  on  the  grimy  ceiling.  For  Noah  was  be 
coming  anxious  about  his  pompadour  and  could  not 
refrain  from  examining  it  at  frequent  intervals. 
Every  expedient  had  been  resorted  to  from  surgery 
to  soap,  but  the  stubbly  blond  lock  defied  him.  It 
seemed  the  last  barrier  that  rose  between  him  and 
cosmopolitan  life. 

A  light  step  on  the  stairs  sent  the  mirror  into  the 
desk,  and  brought  a  look  of  absorbed  concentration 
to  his  expansive  brow. 

"Is  Mr.  Gooch  here?"  asked  Connie  Queering- 
ton,  thrusting  a  plumed  hat  into  his  range  of  vision. 

Noah  disengaged  himself  from  the  stool  and  came 
329 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

forward  eagerly,  but  paused  when  he  found  that  she 
was  not  alone. 

"  Come  on  in,  Gerald,"  she  said  hospitably. 
"  You  know  Mr.  Wicker,  don't  you  ?  At  any  rate 
he  knows  you.  I  Ve  told  him  reams  about  you, 
haven't  I,  Mr.  Wicker?" 

Noah  bowed  gravely,  and  after  bringing  forward 
chairs,  retired  to  his  desk,  in  a  state  of  outward  calm 
and  inward  wrath. 

Gerald  Ivy  daintily  dusted  the  chair  with  his 
handkerchief,  and  sat  down,  nursing  one  silk-clad 
ankle  across  his  knee,  in  order  not  to  expose  more 
of  his  garments  than  was  necessary  to  the  grime  of 
Mr.  Gooch's  abode. 

"  What  a  nuisance  he  is  n't  here !  "  said  Connie. 
"  I  could  leave  Father's  message  but  I  left  word  for 
Hat  to  meet  me  here.  What  time  do  you  have  to 
go,  Gerald?" 

"  Four  o'clock,"  said  Gerald,  then  glancing  at  the 
clock,  "  it 's  only  three-thirty  now." 

"  The  clock  is  slow,"  announced  Noah  unex 
pectedly  from  his  corner. 

Gerald  leisurely  removed  his  gloves.  "  What  does 
half  an  hour  matter  when  I  can  spend  it  with  you? 
I  was  just  going  to  meet  Mater  at  the  jail  where 
she  has  been  pinning  rosebuds  on  repentant  bosoms. 
Come,  tell  me  all  about  yourself!  "  He  leaned  for 
ward  with  elbows  on  his  knees,  and  hands  clasped, 

330 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

dropping  his  voice  to  a  confidential  tone,  and  bring 
ing  the  whole  battery  of  his  glances  to  play  upon 
her. 

"  Why  should  I?  "  asked  Connie  archly.  "  You 
have  n't  been  near  me  since  I  went  to  the  country." 

"  What  was  the  use  ?  You  could  n't  expect  me 
to  compete  with  a  hero,  who  is  making  such  a  grand 
stand  play  as  Morley.  Giving  himself  up  for  an 
act  he  says  he  did  n't  commit,  refunding  money 
when  he  does  n't  have  to,  going  to  work  as  a  scrub 
reporter  when  he  has  lived  like  a  lord  all  his  life! 
I  don't  see  how  the  theatrical  managers  have  over 
looked  him !  He  is  the  stuff  matinee  idols  are  made 
of.  He 's  turned  the  heads  of  half  the  girls  in 
town !  " 

"  He  's  turned  mine  all  right,"  said  Connie  com 
placently.  "  I  'm  crazy  about  him.  And  he  is  n't 
doing  all  those  things  for  effect  either.  He  is  not 
that  kind.  Is  he,  Mr.  Wicker?  " 

Noah,  thus  suddenly  appealed  to,  was  compelled 
to  answer  truthfully  that  he  was  not.  But  he  did 
so  with  a  protesting  jerk  of  the  elbow,  that  sent  an 
ink-bottle  flying  to  the  floor. 

Gerald  took  advantage  of  the  mishap  to  get 
Connie  over  to  the  window. 

"  It 's  beastly  lonesome  without  you,"  he  whis 
pered.  "  When  are  you  coming  home  ?  " 

"  Heaven  knows !  "  said  Connie,  putting  her  hands 

331 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

behind  her  for  safe-keeping.  "  Now  that  somebody 
else  has  rented  the  College  Street  house,  and  Miss 
Lady  has  sold  Thornwood,  I  don't  know  what 's  to 
become  of  us." 

"  Don't  you  miss  me  a  little  bit?  "  asked  Gerald, 
playing  with  the  silver  purse  on  her  wrist. 

"Of  course  I  do,  silly.  Is  my  hat  on  straight? 
I  wish  I  had  a  mirror." 

Noah  kneeling  on  the  floor,  mopping  up  the  ink, 
reached  toward  the  desk,  and  then  paused. 

"I'll  be  your  mirror!"  said  Gerald,  presenting 
his  eyes  in  a  way  that  only  a  very  near-sighted  per 
son  could  have  taken  advantage  of. 

"  City  Hall  clock 's  striking  four,"  said  Noah 
grimly. 

But  Noah's  desire  to  have  Connie  to  himself  was 
not  to  be  gratified.  No  sooner  had  Gerald  gone, 
than  Hattie  arrived,  very  slim  and  angular,  and 
carrying  a  prodigious  stack  of  school-books. 

"  What  was  the  sense  of  my  meeting  you  here?  " 
she  demanded  of  Connie,  wasting  no  time  on 
amenities.  "  You  've  made  me  miss  the  four-two 
train,  and  come  out  of  my  way.  What  did  you 
want  with  me  ?  " 

"  I  wanted  to  use  your  mileage  book,  dear,"  said 
Connie  sweetly.  "  How  long  do  you  suppose  it  will 
be,  Mr.  Wicker,  before  Mr.  Gooch  comes  in?  " 

"  Any  minute  now,"  said  Noah,  smoothing  down 
332 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

his  hair  with  an  inky  finger.  "I  —  I  think  the  clock 
is  a  little  fast."  Then  as  Connie  laughed,  he  jerked 
up  the  top  of  his  desk  and  disappeared  behind  it. 

"  Stuffy  old  place !  "  said  Connie,  wandering  about 
the  room.  "If  Mr.  Gooch  was  n't  so  stingy  he  'd 
have  it  cleaned  up." 

"  I  would  n't  call  a  man  stingy  who  had  given  a 
library  to  the  law  school,"  Hattie  objected. 

"  Yes,  and  he  's  spent  the  rest  of  his  life  saving 
every  penny  to  pay  himself  back  for  it.  He  has 
eaten  fifty-two  suppers  a  year  at  our  house  for  ten 
years,  that  Js  five  hundred  and  twenty  suppers,  and 
he  's  never  even  treated  us  to  a  chocolate  sundae !  " 

"  I  don't  think  it 's  stingy  to  be  economical,"  Hat- 
tie  said  with  her  most  superior  air. 

Noah,  who  was  facing  the  open  door,  suddenly 
began  making  strange  gestures,  and  violent  appeals 
for  silence,  but  the  girls  were  off  on  an  old  argument 
and  did  not  see  him. 

"  Besides,"  Connie  was  saying  conclusively,  "  he 
cheats  at  cards;  you  know  he  does." 

"  Only  at  solitaire.  I  don't  see  any  reason  why 
he  should  n't  cheat  himself  if  he  wants  to.  He  's 
all  right,  even  if  he  is  queer,  and  I  think  you  ought 
to  be  ashamed  of  yourself  to  talk  about  him  the  way 
you  do !  " 

"How  do  you  do,  Harriet?"  said  Mr.  Gooch 
dryly,  entering  from  the  outer  room  and  not 

333 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

glancing  at  Connie.  "  A  message  from  your 
father?" 

Connie  slipped  the  note  into  Hattie's  hand  and 
took  refuge  with  Noah  behind  the  desk  top. 

"  Did  he  hear?"  she  whispered  hysterically. 
Then  not  waiting  for  a  reply  she  pounced  upon  an 
object  in  the  desk.  "  Is  that  a  mirror?  " 

Noah  shamefacedly  produced  it. 

"  Hold  it  for  me,"  she  commanded.  "  Not  so 
far  off.  Like  that !  " 

Standing  there  behind  the  desk  holding  his  little 
mirror  for  her  to  powder  her  nose  seemed  to  Noah 
the  apotheosis  of  romance. 

"  Too  much?  "  she  asked,  tilting  her  face  for  in 
spection.  "  And  is  my  hat  right  ?  I  want  to  look 
my  best,  because  you  know  I  may  meet  Donald 
Morley  on  the  steps." 

She  was  evidently  not  disappointed,  for  Noah, 
standing  at  the  window  waiting  to  catch  the  last 
flutter  of  her  feather  as  she  passed  up  the  street,  had 
to  wait  five  agonizing  minutes,  at  the  end  of  which 
Don  spoke  to  him  from  the  door. 

"  Hello,  Wick.     Is  Mr.  Gooch  here?  " 

"  He  was  a  minute  ago." 

"  Is  he  coming  back?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  I  'm  sure." 

Noah  made  the  answers  in  a  tone  that  discouraged 
further  conversation,  and  Donald  after  a  sharp 

334 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

glance  at  him,  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  picked 
up  a  book.  He  had  not  long  to  wait  before  Mr. 
Gooch  returned. 

"  I  've  been  telephoning  all  over  town  for  you," 
said  the  lawyer  testily.  "  Is  this  rumor  true  tftat 
you  have  bought  back  your  bank  stock  ?  " 

"  It  is.     It  was  the  only  honest  thing  I  could  do." 

"  Not  at  all,"  complained  Mr.  Gooch,  who  became 
passionately  attached  to  the  contrary  opinion  the 
moment  he  ascertained  yours.  "  It  was  a  most 
quixotic,  a  most  reckless  course  to  take.  I  suppose 
you  know  of  the  double  liability?  " 

"  Yes,  I  know,"  Donald  flung  out  impatiently. 

"  You  are  singularly  fortunate,  Mr.  Morley,  to 
be  able  to  indulge  these  magnanimous  whims. 
Your  resources  I  presume — " 

"  My  resources  consist  in  a  piece  of  real  estate  and 
a  couple  of  race  horses.  That 's  about  all  that 's 
left." 

"  The  real  estate  ?  "  Mr.  Gooch  looked  encouraged. 
"City  property?" 

"  No,  it 's  a  farm." 

"Where?" 

"  On  the  Cane  Run  Road." 

Noah's  head  appeared  above  the  desk  for  the  first 
time  during  the  conversation  and  he  looked  sur 
prised,  as  if  he  had  made  a  discovery. 

"  Adjoining  your  sister's  property,  I  judge  ?  "  con- 

335 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

tinned  Mr.  Gooch.  "  That 's  good,  very  good.  It 
ought  to  bring  about  — ?  " 

"  It 's  not  for  sale,"  said  Donald  shortly. 

Mr.  Gooch,  who  had  emerged  to  the  rim  of  his 
shell,  promptly  went  in  again. 

"  You  see,  Mr.  Gooch,"  said  Donald,  leaning  for 
ward  and  speaking  earnestly,  "  when  you  took  this 
case  I  had  no  need  to  think  of  the  financial  end  of 
it.  I  wanted  to  get  the  affair  straight,  and  I  did  n't 
care  a  hang  what  it  would  cost.  Since  then  things 
have  changed.  I  think  it 's  only  fair  to  tell  you 
that  after  I  sell  my  horses  and  settle  things  up,  there 
won't  be  more  than  a  thousand  dollars  left.  Will 
that  cover  your  fee?" 

Mr.  Gooch  was  visibly  offended.  "  It  is  not  my 
custom,  sir,  to  name  a  sum  in  advance.  There  's  a 
great  deal  of  work  on  this  case,  of  a  very  annoying 
nature.  We  might  try  to  come  under  the  amount 
stipulated,  and  in  a  pinch  of  course  you  could  sell 
the  real  estate." 

"No,"  said  Donald,  "I  shall  not  sell  it.  And 
I  Ve  got  to  know  to-day  what  your  terms  will  be. 
I  Ve  got  work  with  the  Herald-Post  as  temporary 
correspondent  at  the  Capitol.  I  'm  going  up  there 
to-morrow,  and  will  probably  stay  on  until  my  case 
is  called.  I  'd  like  to  have  your  definite  answer  at 


once." 


"  Well,  I  did  n't  want  the  case  in  the  beginning," 
336 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

said  Mr.  Gooch.  "  It 's  the  sort  of  thing  I  don't 
care  for.  I  might  be  able  to  finish  it  for  a  thousand 
dollars,  but  I  don't  know  that  I  'd  care  to  commit 
myself." 

"  Very  well,"  said  Donald,  rising  with  spirit. 
"  That  means  that  I  '11  have  to  get  another  lawyer." 

'*  You  '11  be  making  a  mistake,"  said  Mr.  Gooch, 
twisting  his  small  features  into  a  hard  knot,  and 
watching  Donald  closely.  "  It 's  a  great,  risk  to 
change  lawyers  in  the  middle  of  a  case.  There  's  a 
great  deal  at  stake.  You  ought  n't  to  stand  back  on 
a  question  of  money  at  a  critical  time  like  this." 

"  Good  Lord,  man !  I  'm  not  standing  back  on  a 
question  of  money!  I  'd  put  up  all  I  had  if  it  was 
a  million.  Do  you  suppose  I  would  have  taken  a 
job  in  Frankfort  for  ten  dollars  a  week  if  I  had  any 
money  ?  " 

"  But  you  still  hold  property !  " 

"  I  do,  Mr.  Gooch,  and  for  reasons  you  could 
never  understand  I  shall  continue  to  hold  it.  Good 
day." 

"  Stop  a  minute !  "  Noah  Wicker  unfolded  him 
self  in  sections,  and  got  to  his  feet. 

"  Suppose  you  let  me  take  your  case." 

Donald  and  Mr.  Gooch  looked  at  him  with  equal 
amazement. 

"  I  have  n't  had  much  experience,"  Noah  went  on 
slowly  and  grimly.  "  I  did  n't  even  know  a  repu- 

337 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

table  lawyer  could  throw  a  case  over  in  the  middle 
when  a  client  lost  his  money.  I  've  got  a  lot  to 
learn.  But  I  do  know  this  case  from  end  to  end, 
and  I  know  you,  Don  Morley.  If  I  can't  clear  you 
with  or  without  money,  I  'd  better  give  up  the  prac 
tice  of  law  right  here  and  now.  Do  you  think  you  'd 
be  willing  to  trust  me?  " 

Donald  hesitated  for  a  moment,  glancing  from 
Noah's  honest,  homely  face  to  Mr.  Gooch's  sneer 
ing  one,  then  he  jumped  to  a  decision. 

"  It 's  a  go,  Wick !     And  the  fee  — " 

Noah  extended  a  hand,  the  breadth  of  whose  palm 
has  already  been  commented  upon. 

"  The  fee  be  damned,"  he  drawled. 


338 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

DONALD  MORLEY  packed  his  few  belong 
ings  and  went  on  his  small  mission  for  the 
Herald-Post  with  a  determination  worthy  of  a 
larger  cause.  The  remuneration  was  less  than  he 
had  been  in  the  habit  of  paying  his  stable  boy,  but 
failure  to  secure  a  position,  together  with  a  de 
pleted  bank  account,  had  chastened  his  spirit,  and 
he  was  ready  to  grasp  at  anything  that  would  give 
him  a  chance  to  justify  the  belief  of  his  friends. 

When  he  first  arrived  at  the  sleepy  little  town 
where  the  state  transacted  its  business,  he  took  two 
rooms  at  the  hotel.  Later  he  moved  to  a  boarding- 
house,  and  by  the  end  of  the  third  week  he  was  in 
a  small,  bare  room  in  an  office  building,  eating  his 
breakfasts  at  the  depot,  his  luncheons  at  a  restau 
rant,  and  his  dinners  at  the  hotel.  For  in  his  de 
termination  to  square  himself  with  the  world  he  had 
managed  to  dispose  of  nearly  all  he  had,  excepting 
a  thousand  dollars  which  he  had  secretly  deposited 
to  Noah's  account. 

At  first  poverty  was  a  somewhat  diverting  nov 
elty;  it  served  to  keep  his  mind  off  those  pursuing 

339 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

cided,  was  in  not  knowing  what  to  do  with  one's 
things. 

It  was  not  only  his  things,  however,  that  he  found 
difficulty  in  disposing  of.  For  a  given  number  of 
hours  a  day  a  man  can  hold  himself  down  to  the 
task  of  sitting  at  a  small  deal  table,  covering  yellow 
tablets  with  words  that  will  probably  never  be  read, 
but  after  too  long  a  stretch  nature  is  apt  to  rebel. 
At  such  times  Donald  raged  like  a  pent  lion.  His 
mind  involuntarily  flew  to  the  possibility  of  this  con 
finement  being  but  a  foretaste  of  the  other  that 
waited  for  him  should  the  rehearing  not  be  granted. 
From  the  beginning  he  had  refused  to  consider  the 
possibility  of  conviction;  he  was  innocent,  he  would 
be  cleared.  But  as  the  days  dragged  on,  a  shadow 
began  to  dog  his  steps  and  to  sit  on  the  foot  of  his 
bed  by  night,  grinning  at  him  through  bars  of  iron. 

Had  there  been  a  friend  to  whom  he  could  turn 
during  these  days  he  might  have  been  spared  some 
of  the  hours  of  anguish  he  endured,  but  his  pride 
was  cut  to  the  quick,  and  he  shrank  from  seeing  any 
one  who  knew  him  or  his  family.  Cropsie  Decker 
could  have  helped  him,  but  Cropsie  was  in  Mexico. 
To  Noah  Wicker  he  had  ceased  to  be  an  individual, 
he  had  become  a  client,  a  first  client,  and  personal 
ities  were  swamped  in  abstractions.  The  only  place 
where  he  could  have  found  sympathy  and  under 
standing  was  at  Thornwood,  the  hospitable  door  of 

342 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

which  he  had  resolutely  closed  with  his  own  hand. 
If  he  thought  the  depths  of  loneliness  had  been 
sounded  out  there  in  the  Orient,  he  had  now  to  learn 
that  it  is  only  in  one's  own  country,  among  one's 
own  people,  that  the  plummet  strikes  bottom. 

The  day  before  the  case  was  to  be  presented  Noah 
came  up  from  the  city,  and  once  again  they  went 
over  every  tiresome,  familiar  detail.  By  the  time 
evening  arrived  Donald  was  in  a  state  of  black  de 
jection.  Half  a  dozen  sleepless  nights,  and  the  re 
turn  of  several  articles  did  not  tend  to  brighten  the 
situation,  and  when  Noah  accepted  an  invitation 
from  the  Judge  to  dine  with  him,  Donald  felt  that 
he  had  been  abandoned  to  his  fate. 

Twilight  was  closing  in,  the  kind  that  has  no  be 
ginning  and  no  end,  a  damp,  gray  saturating  twi 
light  that  smothers  the  soul  in  a  fog  of  gloom  and 
relaxes  all  the  moral  fibers.  Donald  went  to  his 
small  window  and  looked  out.  The  street  below 
was  deserted,  save  for  an  occasional  shabby  surrey, 
splashing  through  the  mud  on  its  way  to  the  station. 
At  long  intervals  an  umbrella  bobbed  past,  and  once 
a  drove  of  cattle  lumbered  by,  driven  by  a  boy 
astride  a  mule.  Donald  jerked  down  the  shade 
savagely,  and  lit  the  single  gas-jet. 

In  a  magazine  which  he  picked  up  was  a  graphic 
article  on  child  labor  in  the  mines,  giving  pictures 
of  ragged,  emaciated  children  who  spent  their  lives 

343 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

underground,  breathing  foul  air  and  becoming 
dwarfed  in  body  and  soul.  He  flung  the  book  from 
him  and  dropped  his  head  upon  his  arms.  Life 
seemed  a  great,  inexorable  machine,  setting  at 
naught  human  aspiration,  human  endeavor.  What 
was  the  good  of  fighting  it?  What  was  the  sense 
in  believing  in  a  divine  order,  in  such  infernal 
chaos  ? 

Unable  to  stand  his  own  company  any  longer,  he 
seized  his  hat  and  started  for  the  hotel.  He  was 
in  a  reckless,  hopeless  mood,  ready  to  take  diversion 
wherever  he  found  it,  and  as  is  usual  in  such  cases, 
diversion  met  him  half  way. 

The  little  hotel  office  was  in  a  spasm  of  activity, 
bells  were  ringing,  doors  slamming,  and  guests  ar 
riving.  The  group  of  loiterers  who  usually  sat 
facing  the  fire,  criticizing  the  daily  proceedings  of 
the  legislature,  now  stood  in  a  semicircle  with  their 
backs  to  it,  watching  the  new  arrivals. 

"  It 's  a  theatrical  company,"  explained  one  of 
the  voluble  crowd  to  Donald ;  "  the  liveliest  lay-out 
we  've  had  for  moons.  That 's  the  star  talking  to 
the  fellow  in  the  checked  suit.  Some  winner,  is  n't 
she?" 

The  object  of  this  remark,  having  just  told  a 
story  that  elicited  a  round  of  laughter,  turned  care 
lessly  and  swept  the  room  with  a  brilliant,  expe 
rienced  glance.  The  searchlight  passed  the  porter 

344 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

and  bell  boys,  the  obsequious  clerk  at  the  desk,  the 
semicircle  of  admirers  at  the  fire,  and  came  to  an 
audacious  pause  when  it  reached  Donald  Morley. 

He  was  lighting  a  cigarette  at  the  moment,  and 
presented  an  appearance  of  colossal  indifference  to 
all  stars,  terrestrial  and  celestial.  But  when  he  had 
tossed  the  match  into  the  open  grate,  he  nonchalantly 
sauntered  to  the  desk  and  glanced  at  the  register. 

There  was  the  dashing  signature,  the  ink  -still  wet 
on  the  flourish, 

"  La  Florine." 

It  was  Cropsie  Decker's  old  flame,  "  The  Serpent 
of  the  Nile,"  whom  he  had  last  seen  poised  on  the 
cork  of  a  champagne  bottle  on  a  poster  on  Billy- 
goat  Hill!  Without  looking  up  he  was  aware  that 
the  same  mischievous  eyes  which  had  peeped  through 
the  black -gloved  fingers  on  the  poster,  were  watch 
ing  him  now  with  the  liveliest  interest.  They  fol 
lowed  him  across  the  room,  they  laughed  at  him 
over  the  shoulder  of  the  man  in  the  checked  suit, 
they  flung  a  challenge  at  his  feet,  and  dared  him 
pick  it  up. 

Donald  watched  her  with  increasing  fascination. 
It  was  good  just  to  be  near  anything  so  careless,  and 
gay,  and  irresponsible.  He,  too,  had  once  poised 
tiptoe  on  the  perilous  edge  of  things,  and  laughed 
defiance  in  the  face  of  Fate.  Why  shouldn't  he 

345 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

do  it  again?  A  man  about  to  be  hanged  is  given 
a  last  good  dinner,  why  should  n't  he  humor  himself 
to  one  more  good  time  before  the  die  was  cast  on 
the  morrow  ? 

It  would  only  be  necessary  to  present  his  card 
and  mention  Cropsie  Decker,  and  the  rest  would  be 
easy.  He  had  just  about  enough  money  to  pay  for 
a  theater  ticket,  and  a  cozy  little  supper  afterward. 
But  what  about  flowers? 

He  thrust  his  hand  eagerly  into  his  pocket  on  an 
investigating  tour.  As  he  did  so  his  fingers  en 
countered  a  small,  hard  object  which  he  drew  forth 
and  looked  at  curiously.  It  was  the  dried  hip  of 
a  wild  rose,  that  had  been  transferred  from  pocket 
to  pocket  since  the  day  it  dared  to  bloom  before  its 
time,  in  a  cranny  of  the  stone  wall  that  circled  the 
garden  at  Thornwood.  The  touch  of  it  brought 
back  an  old  barrel  hammock  under  the  lilacs,  and 
the  glowing  eyes  of  a  girl,  lifted  to  his  with  a  look 
of  trusting  innocence. 

Without  another  glance  at  "  The  Serpent  of  the 
Nile,"  he  turned  up  his  coat  collar,  pulled  his  hat 
over  his  eyes  and  plunged  out  into  the  wet,  dismal 
street.  For  hours  he  tramped,  neither  knowing  nor 
caring  where  he  went.  He  was  fighting  the  hardest 
fight  a  man  is  called  on  to  fight,  the  fight  against 
himself  with  no  reward  in  view. 

When  he  got  back  to  his  room,  spent  and  di- 

346 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

sheveled  at  nine  o'clock,  he  found  two  letters  under 
his  door.  One,  a  black-bordered  envelope  ad 
dressed  in  Connie's  familiar  scrawl,  he  thrust  into 
his  pocket,  smiling  in  spite  of  himself  at  the  memory 
of  Miss  Lady's  bargain  stationery.  The  other,  a 
long,  bulky  envelope,  bearing  the  device  of  a  well- 
known  magazine,  caused  him  to  sit  limply  down  on 
his  steamer-trunk  and  gaze  at  it  miserably. 

His  cherished  story  had  come  back  at  last !  The 
possibility  of  its  being  accepted  had  been  the  one 
hope  he  had  clung  to  during  many  a  desperate  hour. 
In  it  he  had,  for  the  first  time,  dared  to  say  the  things 
he  felt,  to  venture  boldly  into  the  land  of  romance 
which  hitherto  he  had  cautiously  skirted.  Dozens 
of  other  similar  tales  were  teeming  in  his  brain,  only 
waiting  to  know  the  fate  of  this  one.  And  it  had 
come  back!  It  was  the  best  he  had  to  offer,  and 
his  best  was  not  good  enough!  He  looked  at  the 
shabby,  dog-eared  sheet,  and  the  folded  enclosure 
that  doubtless  set  forth  the  editor's  smug  regrets, 
then  with  an  impatient  gesture  he  flung  the  envelope 
and  its  contents  into  the  scrap-basket,  cursing  him 
self  and  his  conceit  in  thinking  he  could  write,  and 
editors  and  their  conceit  in  thinking  they  could 
judge. 

The  folded  enclosure,  meanwhile,  that  had  been  in 
the  manuscript  elected  to  disprove  the  total  depravity 
of  inanimate  things,  and  instead  of  falling  face 

'347 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

downward,  fell  face  upward  on  the  very  top  of  the 
heap.  Thus  it  was  that  Donald  Morley,  charging 
desperately  about  his  limited  quarters,  suddenly 
spied  a  word  that  made  him  snatch  up  the  sheet  of 
paper  and  rush  to  the  light. 

The  editor,  it  appeared,  had  read  the  story  with 
genuine  pleasure.  Khalil  Samad  was  an  entirely 
new  creation,  presented  with  an  originality  and 
humor  altogether  delightful.  The  one  fault  of  the 
story  was  its  brevity.  Of  course,  the  magazine 
would  accept  it  as  it  was,  but  the  opinion  of  the 
office  was  to  the  effect  that  if  the  author  had  ma 
terial  for  other  stories  of  a  similar  nature  it  was  a 
pity  for  him  not  to  elaborate  it  into  a  book.  A  novel 
with  Khalil  Samad  for  a  hero,  if  written  with  the 
same  charm  as  this  first  story,  would  be  an  un 
doubted  success.  This  was  merely  a  suggestion,  of 
course,  and  might  not  fall  in  with  Mr.  Morley's 
other  literary  plans.  In  any  case  the  editor  con 
gratulated  him  upon  the  originality  of  his  story  and 
would  look  forward  to  publishing  it  in  one  form  or 
the  other. 

Donald  read  the  note  through  twice  before  he 
mastered  its  contents,  then  he  drew  a  prodigious 
breath.  Other  stories  of  a  similar  nature?  Why, 
he  knew  dozens  of  them!  Khalil  Samad  had  been 
his  sole  companion  for  two  months,  and  Khalil's 
chief  occupation  had  been  talking  about  himself  and 

348 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

his  escapades.  Donald  knew  the  main  incidents  of 
his  dramatic  career  from  the  time  he  had  been  stolen 
by  a  Bengali  bandit  and  sold  into  matrimony  at  the 
age  of  ten,  to  the  day  he  had  salaamed  a  tearful  fare 
well  from  the  dock  at  Bombay. 

Yes,  most  certainly,  the  writing  of  the  novel  did 
fall  in  with  Mr.  Morley's  literary  plans.  But  what 
about  his  other  plans?  He  caught  himself  up  sud 
denly.  How  did  he  know  what  twenty-four  hours 
might  bring  forth?  What  if,  through  some  terrible 
error,  he  was  not  granted  a  new  hearing?  But 
Noah  Wicker  was  confident.  He  had  discovered  a 
point  in  the  former  trial  which  was  technically  in 
admissible.  A  witness  had  been  permitted  to  make 
a  statement  over  Mr.  Gooch's  objection,  and  Noah 
had  succeeded  in  finding  a  previous  decision  that 
made  him  believe  a  reversal  was  practically  certain. 

Somehow  since  his  story  was  accepted,  Donald 
found  it  much  easier  to  share  Noah's  confidence. 
Waves  of  returning  courage  swept  over  him.  Per 
haps  after  all,  he  was  going  to  be  able  to  do  some 
thing  worth  while  in  the  world!  He  would  work 
like  a  Trojan,  he  would  begin  to-night. 

He  seized  pen  and  paper,  but  the  desire  to  share 
his  good  news  prompted  him  to  write  letters  rather 
than  fiction.  He  wanted  to  tell  Miss  Lady,  he 
wanted  to  tell  the  Doctor.  He  wanted  to  paralyze 
Cropsie  Decker!  Then  he  thought  of  Noah,  and 

349 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

ramming  the  editor's  note  in  his  pocket,  he  went 
plunging  down  the  steps  and  across  to  the  hotel. 

Noah  had  gone  to  bed,  but  he  was  unceremo 
niously  routed  out. 

"Read  that!"  shouted  Don,  thrusting  his  hand 
in  his  pocket  and  pulling  out  an  envelope. 

"It  isn't  opened,"  said  Noah,  yawning;  then 
recognizing  Connie  Queerington's  handwriting  he 
suddenly  woke  up. 

"  Hang  it !  That 's  the  wrong  one,"  said  Donald, 
diving  for  the  other  note.  "  Here  it  is !  Behold 
a  budding  author,  Wick !  I  've  written  some  stuff 
they  say  is  worth  while.  They  want  more !  " 

Noah  read  the  note,  then  returned  it  calmly. 

"  It 's  encouraging,  I  congratulate  you,"  he  ob 
served  laconically. 

Donald's  face  clouded,  then  cleared  and  he 
stepped  forward  impulsively: 

"  See  here,  Wick,"  he  said,  "  you  think  I  'm 
poaching  on  your  preserves.  I  'm  not.  That 's  the 
first  letter  I  have  had  from  Connie  for  weeks.  I 
have  n't  written  her  a  line  since  I  left  home,  but  she 
likes  to  keep  me  on  the  string.  She  just  plays  with 
Ivy  and  me  to  keep  her  hand  in.  Don't  you  mind 
either  one  of  us.  Stick  to  it  and  win." 

"  Oh,  I  'm  sticking  to  it  all  right,"  said  Noah 
doggedly,  "  but  I  don't  seem  to  stand  much  chance 
with  the  rest  of  you." 

350 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"Nonsense,  man!  Think  of  your  head-piece! 
The  Lord  started  you  out  with  more  brains  than 
most  of  us  end  with.  The  Judge  said  this  morning 
that  you  knew  more  common  law  than  any  young 
lawyer  he  could  think  of." 

"  Yes,  but  knowledge  of  common  law  won't  win 
this  suit.  She  '11  never  look  at  me,  Donald,  except 
as  a  last  resort.  She  thinks  I  am  a  heavy,  awkward 
hayseed,  and  I  reckon  she  's  about  right." 

He  towered  there  in  his  blue  pajamas  two  sizes 
too  small  for  him,  his  hair  on  end,  and  his  large 
hands  grasping  the  chair  back.  "  I  don't  know  the 
game,"  he  went  on  helplessly.  "  You  fellows  take 
the  trick  while  I  am  making  up  my  mind  what  to 
play.  She  's  too  much  for  me.  You  are  all  too 
much  for  me,  but  I  shan't  throw  down  my  hand, 
not  yet." 

Donald  got  up  from  the  foot  of  the  bed  where 
he  had  been  sitting,  and  took  Noah  by  the  shoul 
ders. 

"  You  Ve  been  working  like  a  dog  on  my  case,  old 
fellow.  Suppose  you  let  me  take  charge  of  yours  ?  " 

"  How  do  you  mean?  " 

"  You  say  you  don't  know  the  rules  of  the  game. 
I  know  them  backwards  and  forwards  and  upside 
down.  You  let  me  play  this  hand  for  you  with 
Connie  Queerington,  and  you  stand  to  win." 

"But  — but  you?" 

351 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"Heavens,  man!  Do  you  suppose  if  it  were 
anything  to  me  I  'd  have  forgotten  to  read  her  letter 
all  this  time?  No,  I  am  through  with  that  sort  of 
thing."  He  turned  his  head  abruptly  and  his  face 
darkened.  "  There  never  was  but  one  race  for  me, 
that  was  worth  the  running  and  I  got  left  at  the 
post." 

"  Perhaps  Miss  Connie  — " 

"Likes  me?  Of  course  she  does.  And  I  like 
her  tremendously.  That  's  how  I  am  going  to  help 
you.  Leave  it  to  me,  Wick.  Let  me  write  her  all 
the  letters  I  want  to.  Let  me  tell  her  about  the  stir 
you  are  making  up  here,  about  the  Judge  cottoning 
to  you,  and  the  Governor  asking  you  to  dinner.  In 
short,  let  me  dramatize  you,  Wick ;  I  '11  write  her 
a  play  in  five  acts  with  you  for  the  hero.  All  you 
have  to  do  is  to  ease  up  on  your  letters  and  keep 
out  of  her  sight  for  a  month  or  so.  Tell  her  that 
as  long  as  you  can't  be  anything  more  to  her  you 
will  be  a  good  friend.  Connie  hates  a  man  to  be 
a  friend !  She  wants  him  to  be  either  an  acquaint 
ance  or  a  lover.  You  have  gotten  out  of  the  first 
class,  and  she  will  never  let  you  alone  until  she  gets 
you  back  into  the  third." 

Noah  rubbed  his  massive  and  bewildered  brow. 
"  It 's  too  complicated  for  me,"  he  said ;  "  I  guess 
I  '11  have  to  accept  your  services." 

352 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

That  night  Donald  worked  until  the  small  hours, 
eagerly  blocking  out  the  chapters  of  his  new  book. 
So  absorbed  was  he  that  it  was  not  until  he  straight 
ened  his  tired  back,  and  started  to  make  ready  for 
bed  that  he  remembered  that  he  had  not  yet  read 
Connie's  letter. 

It  was  a  blotted  and  incoherent  scrawl. 

"  Dear  Cousin  Don/'  he  read,  "  I  don't  see  how 
I  am  ever  going  to  write,  for  my  eyes  are  almost 
out  from  crying,  but  Miss  Lady  simply  can't  do 
everything,  and  somebody  has  to  tell  the  relatives. 
Hattie  ought  to  help  me,  but  she  thinks  she  has  to 
write  to  her  intimate  friends  first,  and  she 's  got 
about  a  dozen.  You  know  how  hateful  she  is. 

"  Well,  he  was  taken  worse  last  week,  Father,  I 
mean.  I  can't  go  into  the  details  for  I  have  told 
them  over  to  so  many  people  now  that  I  'm  about 
crazy,  and  every  time  I  go  over  them  I  almost  cry 
myself  to  death.  He  did  n't  know  any  of  us  all 
last  night  or  this  morning,  except  once  he  called 
for  Miss  Lady  and  patted  her  cheek.  At  the  end 
he  seemed  to  get  stronger  and  opened  his  eyes  and 
asked  for  his  manuscript.  It  was  the  most  pitiful 
thing  you  ever  saw  at  the  last,  to  see  him  trying  to 
turn  over  the  sheets,  with  his  poor  eyes  staring  out 
at  the  wall,  not  knowing  any  of  us.  You  '11  see 

353 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

about  the  funeral  in  the  morning's  paper.     I  don't 
see  how  we  are  ever  going  through  with  it. 
'*  Your  loving  cousin, 

"  CONSTANCE  QUEERINGTON. 

"  P.  S.     Please  tell  Mr.  Wicker  —  I  'd  rather  die 
than  write  another  letter." 


354 


CHAPTER  XXV 

THE  summer  that  followed  the  People's  Bank 
failure  was  one  of  those  uncompromising 
summers  that  arrive  in  May  and  depart  only  with 
the  last  leaf  in  October.  The  river  dwindling  to  a 
feeble  stream  staggered  between  distant  banks,  and 
the  countryside  lay  parched  and  panting  beneath 
an  unrelenting  sun. 

In  the  city  Noah  Wicker  toiled  laboriously  over 
his  first  case  which  had  been  granted  a  rehearing, 
and  set  for  November  the  sixth.  At  the  Capitol, 
Donald  Morley  sat  day  after  day,  coatless,  collar- 
less,  in  the  torrid  confines  of  his  small  bedroom, 
furiously  covering  reams  of  paper  with  compact 
handwriting.  At  Thornwood  Miss  Lady,  who  had 
been  left  in  command  of  a  sinking  ship,  struggled 
heroically  to  bring  it  into  port. 

One  day  early  in  July,  Myrtella  Flathers  sat  just 
inside  the  screen  door  of  the  summer  kitchen,  armed 
with  a  fly-spanker  and  a  countenance  of  impending 
gloom.  She  was  evidently  rehearsing  a  speech,  for 
her  lips  moved  in  scornful  curves,  and  her  bristling 

355 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

black  locks  were  tossed  in  defiance.  Mike,  ventur 
ing  out  of  a  shady  corner  and  catching  a  glimpse  of 
her  face,  thought  her  inaudible  remarks  were  ad 
dressed  to  him  and  retired  with  guilty  eyelid  and 
drooping  tail  to  the  woodshed. 

Myrtella's  bitter  reflections  were  interrupted  by 
the  appearance  of  Miss  Lady  on  the  vine-covered 
porch.  She  looked  absurdly  young  in  her  widow's 
weeds,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  her  color  was  gone 
and  her  eyes  beginning  to  look  too  big  for  her  face. 

"  They  've  come  to  stay  a  week !  "  she  announced, 
sinking  wearily  on  the  top  step  and  casting  a  desper 
ate  glance  at  the  closed  shutters  of  the  guest  room 
above.  "  And  it 's  Friday,  and  Mr.  Gooch  will  be 
here  to  supper.  Do  you  see  how  we  are  ever  going 
to  hold  out?'* 

"  /  ain't !  "  declared  Myrtella,  spanking  a  fly  into 
eternity  with  deadly  precision.  "  I  'm  sick  and  tired 
of  company.  There  ain't  been  a  day  in  the  three 
months  since  the  Doctor  died  that  we  ain't  had  his 
kin  folks  on  our  hands.  It  beats  my  time  how  half 
the  world  gits  a  prowlin'  fit  every  summer,  and  goes 
pestering  them  that  stays  at  home.  As  to  these  old 
maids  that  come  to-day,  if  they  had  a  eye  in  their 
heads  they  'd  see  you  was  plumb  wore  out.  I 
would  n't  'a'  ast  'em  to  stay." 

"  But  I  had  to.  They  are  the  Doctor's  cousins. 
They  said  they  'd  been  coming  to  see  him  every  sum- 

356 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

mer  for  years,  and  they  don't  want  to  lose  sight  of 
the  children." 

"  Umph !  The  children  would  n't  mind  losing 
sight  of  them !  Miss  Hattie  got  sent  to  bed  onct 
for  sassing  the  thin  one  that  wants  special  dishes 
and  all  her  water  boiled.  I  bet  she  '11  ast  you  to 
change  her  mattress." 

"  She  has  already.  That 's  what  I  came  out  to 
tell  you,  and  she  wants  her  supper  an  hour  earlier 
than  ours.  But  that  is  n't  what 's  troubling  me, 
Myrtella,  I  have  something  much  more  serious  than 
Cousin  Emily  to  worry  over." 

"  You  ain't  no  exception,"  said  Myrtella,  some 
what  defensively.  "  Trouble  is  about  the  only  thing 
that  rich  people  ain't  got  a  monopoly  on.  I  've  had 
my  share ;  it 's  a  wonder  I  got  a  black  hair  left  in 
my  head!" 

"  Has  your  brother  lost  his  good  place  ?  "  Miss 
Lady  asked. 

"  Phineas  ?  No,  mam.  He  's  been  at  Iselin's 
ever  since  he  left  Mrs.  Sequin's,  an'  to  hear  him  tell 
it  he  's  runnin'  the  whole  'stablishment.  I  must  say 
he  's  doin'  better  'n  he  ever  done  before,  but  he  's 
as  full  of  airs  as  a  music-box,  an'  that  there  Maria, 
a  paternizing  me  like  I  had  n't  been  payin'  her  rent 
all  these  years.  But  I  kin  get  along  without  them. 
It 's  little  Chick  I  'm  a  worryin'  about." 

"  What 's  the  matter  with  Chick?  " 

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A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"Matter  with  him?"  Myrtella  turned  on  her 
fiercely.  "  Ever'  thing  is  the  matter  with  him. 
What  chanct  has  he  got  in  the  world  ?  Picked  out 
of  a  ash-barrel,  livin'  in  dirt  an'  ignorance,  drinkin' 
the  beer  that  leaks  outen  the  kegs  on  the  freight  cars, 
hangin'  'round  the  saloons  an'  gittin'  runtier  an' 
dumber  an'  more  piti  fuller  every  day  he  lives.  My 
Lord!  Ain't  that  enough  the  matter  with  him?" 

Miss  Lady's  quick,  eager  sympathy  leapt  into  her 
face. 

"  We  must  do  something  for  Chick.  Dr.  Wyeth 
believes  he  can  cure  him  if  they  can  ever  get  him 
into  the  Children's  Hospital.  Why  can't  we — " 
she  checked  herself,  and  sat  looking  off  to  the  hills 
across  the  river. 

"  Myrtella,  I  've  got  to  tell  you  something,"  she 
began  again  desperately,  "  I  've  been  trying  to  tell 
you  all  day,  but  I  did  n't  know  how.  You  have 
been  so  good  to  us,  all  through  the  Doctor's  illness, 
and  before.  But  I  'm  afraid  after  this  month  we  '11 
have  to  let  you  go." 

Myrtella  had  been  threatening  to  give  notice  for  a 
month,  but  at  this  announcement  she  looked  as  if 
she  had  been  the  victim  of  an  unsuccessful  electro 
cution. 

"  It 's  a  question  of  money,"  went  on  Miss  Lady 
hurriedly.  "  You  see  we  simply  have  n't  any.  I  've 
kept  account  of  every  cent  that  comes  in  and  goes 

358 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

out,  just  as  Mr.  Gooch  told  me  to ;  but  it  does  n't 
balance.  We  '11  just  have  to  keep  on  cutting  down 
expenses  until  it  does." 

"  An'  you  are  going  to  begin  on  me,"  said  Myr- 
tella  furiously,  "  an'  git  in  some  onery  nigger  that  '11 
carry  home  more  in  a  basket  than  my  wages  would 
come  to ! " 

"  No,  Myrtella ;  we  are  going  to  try  to  do  the 
work  ourselves." 

"  You  mean  you  are !  Anr  Miss  Connie  '11  primp 
herself  up  an'  go  hiking  into  town  after  beaux,  an' 
Miss  Hattie  '11  set  around  with  her  nose  in  a  book, 
an'  you  '11  go  on  workin'  an'  slavin'  an'  wearin'  your 
self  to  the  bone  fer  them,  an'  their  tribe  of  prowlin' 
kin.  Where  's  the  money  you  got  for  this  farm  ?  " 

"  It  went  to  pay  the  debts  and  to  carry  out  the 
Doctor's  wishes." 

"  'Bout  printin'  all  them  books  he  wrote  over 
again,  an'  bringin'  'em  out  in  the  same  kind  of 
covers?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  How  many  was  there,  in  all  ?  " 

"  Twenty." 

Myrtella  compressed  her  lips,  and  with  difficulty 
refrained  from  comment.  However  freely  the 
Doctor's  will  had  been  discussed  in  public,  no  criti 
cism  of  it  was  brooked  in  the  presence  of  Miss  Lady. 

"  As  to  your  leaving,"  she  said,  changing  the  sub- 

359 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

ject,  while  Myrtella  vented  her  wrath  on  the  flies, 
"  you  know  you  have  wanted  to  go  for  months.  It 
was  only  your  goodness  that  made  you  come  out 
here  with  us  after  you  had  saved  money  enough  to 
start  your  boarding-house.  We  have  n't  been  pay 
ing  you  enough,  I  know  that,  and  —  and  we  have  n't 
enough  to  go  on  even  as  we  are." 

Myrtella  wheeled  in  the  doorway,  her  face  purple 
with  anger: 

"If  you  think  I  'm  a-goin'  an'  leave  you  children 
in  this  big  house,  messin'  up  yer  own  food,  an'  lettin' 
everybody  run  over  you,  you  are  mighty  mistaken ! 
Miss  Hattie  'd  be  having  indigestion  inside  a  week, 
an'  Bertie  'd  git  the  croup,  an'  you  'd  have  every 
female  Queerington  that  could  buy  a  railroad  ticket 
comin'  an'  settin'  down  on  you !  " 

"  But  what  can  we  do,  Myrtella?  I  tell  you  the 
money  is  giving  out !  " 

"Do?  I'll  tell  you  what  we  can  do.  We  can 
board  the  company !  We  can  fill  up  the  rooms  with 
folks  that  pay  for  what  they  eat,  an'  there  won't  be 
any  room  for  the  free  prowlers.  You  git  the 
boarders  an'  I  '11  manage  'em." 

"  Why,  Mrs.  Ivy  and  Gerald  wanted  to  come  that 
way,  but  I  laughed  at  them.  Besides  I  don't  know 
about  Gerald — " 

"  On  account  of  Miss  Connie?  "  asked  Myrtella, 
who  had  been  too  much  in  charge  of  the  family  not 

360 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

to  know  its  secrets.  "  You  let  him  come.  He  's 
one  of  them  men  that 's  like  vanilla  extract  —  you 
git  too  much  of  him  onct,  you  never  want  no  more !  " 

"  And  perhaps  Mr.  Gooch  would  come." 

"  Well  it  would  go  kinder  hard  with  him  to  pay 
fer  anything  he  's  always  got  free.  But  git  Miss 
Hattie  to  ast  him.  He  'd  do  it  fer  her  quicker  'n 
anybody." 

The  project,  under  Myrtella's  able  generalship, 
developed  immediately.  Mr.  Gooch  and  the  Ivys 
gladly  availed  themselves  of  the  opportunity  of  flee 
ing  from  the  stifling  city  to  the  cool  shade  of  Thorn- 
wood.  Two  former  pupils  of  the  Doctor's,  who 
were  taking  a  summer  course  at  the  university,  also 
asked  if  they  might  have  a  room,  and  at  the  end  of 
a  week  paying  guests  were  in  possession  and  the 
family  relegated  to  any  nook  or  corner  that  was 
large  enough  to  accommodate  a  bed. 

One  problem  was  unexpectedly  solved  by  the  ap 
pearance  of  Uncle  Jimpson,  who  announced  that 
"  he  had  done  come  back  home  to  stay."  The  dis 
tinction  of  driving  forth  daily  in  solitary  grandeur 
to  exercise  the  Sequins'  horses,  had  palled  upon  him, 
and  the  prospect  of  conducting  the  Queerington 
boarders  back  and  forth  to  the  station,  and  renewing 
his  intimacy  with  old  John  and  Mike,  had  proven 
irresistible. 

Aunt  Caroline  had  died  in  the  early  spring,  and 

361 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Uncle  Jimpson  found  even  the  society  of  Myrtella 
a  relief  after  his  enforced  loneliness.  He  listened 
with  bulging  eyes  and  sagging  jaw  to  her  accounts 
of  the  latest  murders  and  obeyed  her  slightest  com 
mand  with  a  briskness  that  would  have  amazed  the 
old  Colonel. 

"  We  's  helpin'  Miss  Lady  git  a  start,"  he  would 
say  proudly  again  and  again,  "  an'  then  maybe  she 
git  married  some  more." 

"  Married !  "  Myrtella  would  flare,  "  yes,  she  orter 
git  married  to  another  widower  with  three  children, 
and  a  thousand  kin  folks.  Besides,  who  's  she  going 
to  marry  ?  " 

"  Ain't  no  trouble  'bout  dat,"  Uncle  Jimpson  said 
wisely;  "you  jes'  let  her  peek  over  de  blinds  onct, 
an'  you  see  what  gwine  happen." 

"  Well,  she  ain't  going  to  peek,"  Myrtella  said 
firmly.  "  She  ain't  got  a  thought  in  her  head,  but 
gittin'  Miss  Hattie  an'  Bertie  educated,  an'  keepin' 
Miss  Connie  straight,  an'  carry  in'  out  that  fool  will 
of  the  Doctor's." 

"  Jest  wait,"  Uncle  Jimpson  smilingly  insisted, 
"  dat  chile  can't  no  more  help  'cumulatin'  beaux  dan 
a  flower  kin  bees.  An'  hits  de  king  bee  dat 's  comin' 
dis  time,  shore !  " 


362 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

'TT  THERE'S  Connie?  Where's  Hat?"  cried 
V V  Miss  Lady  breathlessly,  bringing  her  foam- 
flecked  horse  to  a  halt  in  front  of  the  porch  where 
Mrs.  Ivy  was  sitting  in  the  twilight.  "  Don  Morley 
has  written  a  book  and  it 's  going  to  be  published 
this  month !  " 

"  A  book !  "  echoed  Mrs.  Ivy  incredulously,  then, 
"  Ah,  my  dear,  do  get  off  that  vicious  beast ;  I 
have  n't  had  a  moment's  peace  since  Mr.  Wicker 
sent  him  over !  " 

Miss  Lady  slipped  to  the  ground  and  stood  with 
her  arm  around  Prince's  neck,  laughing.  The  thrill 
of  her  long  ride,  the  first  one  in  nearly  two  years, 
still  surged  through  her,  and  the  news  just  received 
made  her  heart  dance  for  joy.  Happiness,  in  spite 
of  her  efforts  not  to  expect  it,  was  beginning  to  shine 
across  the  troubled  waters,  a  dim  and  wavering  light 
as  yet,  but  drawing  her  toward  it  with  irresistible 
fascination.  It  was  something  to  steer  by  in  times 
of  stress  and  storm,  something  to  turn  to  tremu 
lously,  in  the  lonely  hours  of  the  night,  when  over- 

'363 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Uncle  Jimpson  found  even  the  society  of  Myrtella 
a  relief  after  his  enforced  loneliness.  He  listened 
with  bulging  eyes  and  sagging  jaw  to  her  accounts 
of  the  latest  murders  and  obeyed  her  slightest  com 
mand  with  a  briskness  that  would  have  amazed  the 
old  Colonel. 

"  We  's  helpin'  Miss  Lady  git  a  start,"  he  would 
say  proudly  again  and  again,  "  an'  then  maybe  she 
git  married  some  more/' 

"  Married !  "  Myrtella  would  flare,  "  yes,  she  orter 
git  married  to  another  widower  with  three  children, 
and  a  thousand  kin  folks.  Besides,  who  's  she  going 
to  marry?  " 

"  Ain't  no  trouble  'bout  dat,"  Uncle  Jimpson  said 
wisely;  "you  jes'  let  her  peek  over  de  blinds  onct, 
an'  you  see  what  gwine  happen." 

"  Well,  she  ain't  going  to  peek,"  Myrtella  said 
firmly.  "  She  ain't  got  a  thought  in  her  head,  but 
gittin'  Miss  Hattie  an'  Bertie  educated,  an'  keepin' 
Miss  Connie  straight,  an'  carry  in'  out  that  fool  will 
of  the  Doctor's." 

"  Jest  wait,"  Uncle  Jimpson  smilingly  insisted, 
"  dat  chile  can't  no  more  help  'cumulatin'  beaux  dan 
a  flower  kin  bees.  An'  hits  de  king  bee  dat 's  comin' 
clis  time,  shore !  " 


362 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

<TT  THERE'S  Connie?  Where's  Hat?"  cried 
V V  Miss  Lady  breathlessly,  bringing  her  foam- 
flecked  horse  to  a  halt  in  front  of  the  porch  where 
Mrs.  Ivy  was  sitting  in  the  twilight.  "  Don  Morley 
has  written  a  book  and  it 's  going  to  be  published 
this  month !  " 

"  A  book !  "  echoed  Mrs.  Ivy  incredulously,  then, 
"  Ah,  my  dear,  do  get  off  that  vicious  beast ;  I 
have  n't  had  a  moment's  peace  since  Mr.  Wicker 
sent  him  over !  " 

Miss  Lady  slipped  to  the  ground  and  stood  with 
her  arm  around  Prince's  neck,  laughing.  The  thrill 
of  her  long  ride,  the  first  one  in  nearly  two  years, 
still  surged  through  her,  and  the  news  just  received 
made  her  heart  dance  for  joy.  Happiness,  in  spite 
of  her  efforts  not  to  expect  it,  was  beginning  to  shine 
across  the  troubled  waters,  a  dim  and  wavering  light 
as  yet,  but  drawing  her  toward  it  with  irresistible 
fascination.  It  was  something  to  steer  by  in  times 
of  stress  and  storm,  something  to  turn  to  tremu 
lously,  in  the  lonely  hours  of  the  night,  when  over- 

'363 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

taxed  muscles  refused  to  relax  and  her  tired  brain 
ached  with  the  pity  and  sorrow  of  the  world. 

During  her  long  ride  this  afternoon  she  had  dared 
for  the  first  time  to  give  rein  to  thoughts  that  had 
hitherto  been  held  in  check.  Surely  life  \vas  more 
than  the  dreary,  monotonous,  loveless  business  of 
the  past  summer!  With  all  its  problems  and  per 
plexities,  it  was  nevertheless  a  mysterious,  fascinat 
ing  thing.  She  did  not  approve  of  it,  nor  did  she 
altogether  trust  it,  but  she  was  incorrigibly  in  love 
with  it  —  and  would  be  to  the  end. 

"  I  suppose  you  know  that  supper  is  over,"  said 
Mrs.  Ivy,  with  veiled  reproach.  "  Were  there  no 
letters  for  me  ?  " 

"  Oh,  dear,  how  stupid  of  me.  I  forgot  to  look 
through  the  rest  of  the  mail.  Here  it  is." 

Mrs.  Ivy  sorted  out  her  own  official-looking  bud 
get,  then  peered  closely  at  the  two  remaining  en 
velopes. 

"  As  I  suspected,"  she  said  with  a  significant  lift 
ing  of  her  eyebrows ;  "  two  for  Constance,  in  the 
same  handwriting  and  both  postmarked  from  the 
Capitol." 

"  But  what  of  it,  Mrs.  Ivy?  " 

"  My  dear,"  Mrs.  Ivy  breathed,  "  don't  you  see 
they  are  from  Mr.  Morley  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  but  I  have  one  from  him,  too ;  he  's  telling 
us  about  his  book." 

364 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Mrs.  Ivy  smiled  with  sad  superiority,  "  Ah,  my 
dear,  you  are  not  a  very  sophisticated  little  chap 
eron.  I  have  hesitated  to  speak  to  you  before,  but 
I  really  think  this  young  man's  attention  to  Con 
stance  should  be  stopped.  It  is  n't  fair  to  poor 
Gerald.  You  know  how  she  has  always  adored  my 
boy,  ever  since  she  was  in  pinafores,  and  I  don't 
mind  confessing  to  you  that  I  've  encouraged  her. 
Of  course  Gerald's  artistic  temperament  has  made 
him  susceptible  to  many  forms  of  beauty,  but  he 
has  really  been  quite  devoted  of  late.  I  simply  can 
not  endure  the  thought  of  that  Mr.  Morley  inter 
fering  with  the  blossoming  of  their  childhood  love." 

"  But  Mrs.  Ivy,  he  —  he  is  her  cousin ;  he  looks 
upon  her  as  a  child." 

"  She  is  only  a  year  younger  than  you  are,  my 
dear,  and  much  more  worldly  wise.  I  've  had  my 
eyes  open  and  I  've  seen  a  great  deal.  She  is  get 
ting  quite  secretive,  and  she  is  n't  always  gracious  to 
Gerald.  Mr.  Morley  's  back  of  it  all,  you  '11  see." 

"  I  don't  think  there  is  any  danger,"  said  Miss 
Lady  critically  examining  the  tip  of  Prince's  nose. 

"  Ah,  my  dear  girl,  you  have  been  too  engrossed 
for  the  past  six  months  to  notice.  Ask  Mr.  Wicker ; 
he  spoke  to  Gerald  about  it  last  spring.  Ask  Gerald 
himself,  he  's  wretchedly  unhappy.  And  now  you 
are  helping  her  to  get  ready  to  go  up  to  the  Capitol 
to  visit,  and  he  's  sure  to  see  her  every  day.  I  must 

365 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

say  that  I  think  it 's  wretched  taste  for  him  to  pay 
attentions  to  any  girl  under  the  circumstances." 

In  an  instant  Miss  Lady  had  wheeled  with  flashing 
eyes: 

"  Donald's  friends  know  that  he  has  n't  done  any 
thing  to  be  ashamed  of!  I  don't  believe  he  thinks 
of  Connie  in  the  way  you  mean,  but  if  he  does  she 
has  every  reason  to  be  proud  of  it!  " 

And  without  waiting  for  an  answer  she  drew  the 
bridle  over  her  arm  and  tramped  indignantly  off  to 
the  stable. 

Mrs.  Ivy  sighed,  then  turned  to  join  Mr.  Gooch 
who  had  just  come  out  on  the  porch. 

"  Has  it  ever  occurred  to  you,"  she  said  as  if 
enunciating  a  hitherto  unuttered  truth,  "  how  reluc 
tant  youth  is  to  learn  of  age?  This  dear  little 
widow  that  the  good  Doctor  left  to  our  care,  is  mak 
ing  some  grave  mistakes." 

"  I  think  she  does  fairly  well,"  said  Mr.  Gooch, 
settling  himself  comfortably;  "the  beef  is  not  al 
ways  good,  but  the  fowls  and  the  vegetables  are  ex- 
excellent." 

Mr.  Gooch  spoke  with  unusual  warmth.  Myr- 
tella's  cooking,  together  with  Miss  Lady's  gracious- 
ness,  and  the  sharp  proprietorship  that  Hattie  had 
assumed  over  him,  were  working  a  miracle.  Even 
now  as  the  sounds  of  music  and  laughter  came  forth 

366 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

from  the  living-room,  he  paused  to  listen.  He  was 
surprised  to  find  that  "  Molly  Darlings,"  and  "  Nellie 
Grays,"  and  other  musical  girls  he  'd  left  behind 
him,  still  haunted  the  dim  corridors  of  his  argu 
mentative  mind,  and  gave  him  little  thrills  of 
pleasure. 

"  Ah,"  purred  Mrs.  Ivy,  continuing  the  conversa 
tion.  "  Far  be  it  from  me  to  criticize  her.  It  is 
against  my  principles  to  entertain  a  critical  attitude 
toward  any  one.  Besides,  I  quite  adore  the  dear 
child.  I  consider  her  a  precious  gift  to  a  grateful 
world.  But  you  must  acknowledge,  Mr.  Gooch,  that 
with  all  her  sweetness,  she  does  n't  always  allow 
herself  to  be  guided." 

"  Good  Lord,  no,"  said  Mr.  Gooch  testily. 
"  She  '11  look  you  straight  in  the  eye  and  smile,  while 
you  are  advising  her,  then  go  straight  off  and  do 
as  she  pleases.  This  matter  of  the  Doctor's  will, 
for  instance.  I  spent  two  days  arguing  with  her 
about  the  futility  of  publishing  two  dozen  volumes 
that  nobody  will  ever  read." 

"  But  that  was  his  dying  request,  Mr.  Gooch. 
Only  one  who  has  loved  and  lost  can  know  the  na 
ture  of  that  obligation." 

Mr.  Gooch  sniffed  impatiently.  Conjugal  fe 
licity  was  a  subject  that  irritated  him  in  every  fiber. 

"  Then  her  charities,"  he  went  on  crustily;  "  she  's 

367 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

got  no  money  to  be  throwing  away,  yet  every  family 
on  Billy-goat  Hill  comes  to  her  when  it  gets  into 
trouble." 

"  Yes,  and  she  does  n't  hesitate  to  sit  down  in 
those  dreadful  hovels,  and  take  those  unclean  babies 
in  her  arms.  It  has  made  me  frightfully  nervous 
since  we  came  here.  Gerald  is  so  sensitive  to 
germs." 

"  What  is  this  latest  tomfoolery  about  a 
kindergarten?  " 

"  Why,  she  has  actually  gotten  Mrs.  Bartrum  and 
Mrs.  Horton,  and  some  of  those  other  society 
women,  to  rent  the  hall  over  the  grocery  where  the 
Cant- Pass-It  Saloon  used  to  be.  They  are  going  to 
open  a  kindergarten  and  Margery  Sequin  is  coming 
home  from  Europe  to  take  charge  of  it.  I  am 
afraid  the  project  is  built  upon  the  sands.  There 
is  not  a  church  member  on  the  board !  " 

"  Well,  they  need  n't  come  to  me  for  a  contribu 
tion,"  said  Mr.  Gooch.  "  I  don't  believe  in  kin 
dergartens." 

While  this  conversation  was  taking  place,  quite 
a  different  one  was  in  progress,  on  the  up-stairs  side 
porch  which  had  been  converted  into  a  summer  bed 
room  for  Miss  Lady  and  Bertie. 

"  Do  you  'spose,"  Bert  was  saying  sleepily,  "  that 
God  'ud  give  me  a  horn  'stead  of  a  harp  when  I  get 
to  heaven,  if  I  ask  him  to?  " 

368 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  I  know  He  will,  Bert.  Take  off  your  other 
shoe." 

"  Why  did  n't  He  give  Chick  something  to  say?  " 

"  He  did,  but  Chick's  throat  won't  let  the  words 
come  through.  Step  out  of  your  clothes  now,  hurry 
up,  Buddikin !  " 

But  Bert's  feet  were  firmly  planted,  and  his  sleepy 
eyes  fixed  in  philosophic  musings : 

"  If  He  had  all  kinds  of  throats  I  don't  see  why 
He  did  n't  give  Chick  a  good  one." 

This  required  elucidation,  and  Miss  Lady  at 
tempted  to  make  the  matter  clear  while  extricating 
the  small  boy  from  his  clothes. 

"  Ain't  you  going  to  tell  me  a  story?  " 

"  Not  to-night,  Bert.  I  'm  so  tired ;  all  the  stories 
have  run  out." 

Bert  crawled  into  his  bed  silently,  and  lay  watch 
ing  the  shadows  in  the  big  tree  outside. 

"  I  wish  Cousin  Don  was  here,"  he  sighed.  "  He 
never  does  run  out  of  stories.  When  is  he  coming 
back?" 

"  I  don't  know,  dear.  Shut  your  eyes  now,  and 
go  to  sleep." 

He  shut  his  eyes  obediently,  but  continued  the 
conversation  drowsily, 

"  He  knows  all  about  whales  and  tigers,  and  big 
ships  and  elephants.  He  's  —  been  —  clear  — 
around  —  the  —  earth  — " 

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A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

But  the  Sandman  had  conquered,  and  Miss  Lady, 
having  slipped  on  a  dressing-gown  and  loosened  her 
hair,  tiptoed  to  the  far  end  of  the  porch  and  sitting 
on  the  railing  gazed  fixedly  out  into  the  gathering 
darkness.  For  half  an  hour  the  dim  enchantments 
of  twilight  had  been  abroad,  transforming  hill  and 
valley,  and  merging  heaven  and  earth  in  a  tender, 
elusive  atmosphere  of  dreams.  But  her  absorbed, 
white  face,  and  tense  hands  locked  about  her  knees, 
showed  that  she  was  not  concerned  \vith  the  beauty 
of  the  evening. 

Mrs.  Ivy's  words  had  kindled  a  bonfire,  by  the 
light  of  which  recent  events  leapt  into  view.  Con 
nie  had  been  secretive,  not  only  about  her  letters  but 
about  her  engagements  as  well.  She  was  growing 
daily  more  indifferent  to  Gerald  Ivy,  and  developing 
a  taste  for  reading  that  had  been  the  cause  of  much 
surmising  and  teasing  on  the  part  of  the  household. 

Twice  during  the  summer  Donald  had  come  to 
Thornwood,  and  on  both  occasions  Miss  Lady  had 
been  seized  with  an  unreasoning  fear,  not  only  of 
him,  but  of  herself.  She  had  received  him  under 
the  depressing  chaperonage  of  Mr.  Gooch  and  Mrs. 
Ivy,  and  she  remembered  now  how  Connie  had  taken 
possession  of  him  on  both  occasions.  But  even  if 
Connie's  transitory  affections  were  temporarily  en 
gaged,  surely  Donald  was  not  encouraging  her! 

A  low  whistle  from  the  path  below  made  her  look 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

down.  It  was  Connie  and  she  was  stepping  very 
cautiously  as  if  trying  to  elude  somebody. 

"  Miss  Lady !  "  she  called  softly.  "  Are  n't  you 
coming  down  again  ?  " 

"  No,  I  'm  going  to  bed." 

"  Don't  go  yet.  I  'm  coming  up.  I  want  to  tell 
you  something." 

A  moment  later  Connie  opened  the  door,  and 
closed  it  carefully  behind  her. 

"Is  Bertie  asleep?" 

"  Yes." 

"It's  all  over!"  she  announced  tragically. 
"  Gerald  and  I  have  had  an  awful  quarrel,  and  he 
swears  he  '11  never  live  to  see  another  dawn." 

"  Of  course  he  won't,  I  doubt  if  he  has  ever  seen 
one.  What 's  his  trouble?  " 

"Everything!  He  wants  me  to  sit  at  his  feet 
every  hour  in  the  day  and  adore  him,  and  how  can  I 
adore  a  man  who  is  afraid  of  a  bumblebee,  and  can't 
drive,  and  sleeps  with  an  umbrella  over  his  head  to 
shut  out  the  light?  I  just  simply  can't  stand  him 
another  minute !  " 

"  But,  Connie,  you  were  so  crazy  about  him,  you 
would  n't  listen  to  a  word  against  him." 

"  I  know  it.  I  Ve  been  a  perfect  little  idiot." 
Connie  was  sobbing  now  on  Miss  Lady's  shoulder. 
"  The  first  time  I  saw  him  he  'd  just  gotten  home 
from  Europe.  He  was  playing  at  a  concert. 

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A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Everybody  said  he  was  a  genius,  and  his  eyes  were 
so  wonderful,  and  I  had  never  seen  anybody  like 
him.  The  more  he  snubbed  me  the  crazier  I  got 
about  him.  It  was  n't  until  Cousin  Don  came  back 
that  I  saw  him  as  he  really  is." 

Miss  Lady  patted  the  heaving  shoulders,  but  said 
nothing. 

"  And  the  very  minute,' *  Connie  continued  tem 
pestuously,  "  that  I  began  to  feel  differently,  Gerald 
began  to  like  me.  He  has  worked  himself  up  to  a 
terrible  pitch,  and  does  n't  want  me  out  of  his  sight 
for  a  minute.  I  feel  as  if  I  'd  been  living  on  choc 
olate  creams  for  three  months !  " 

"  Connie !  "  Miss  Lady  took  the  tear-stained  face 
between  her  hands.  "  I  'm  glad  it  is  n't  Gerald. 
I  'm  glad  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart,  but  are  you 
sure  it  is  n't  somebody  else  ?  " 

Connie's  blue  eyes,  never  very  steadfast,  shifted 
uneasily,  and  Miss  Lady  went  on  earnestly : 

"  Are  you  quite  sure  you  are  n't  doing  just  what 
you  did  before,  getting  infatuated,  and  making  your 
self  miserable  over  some  one  who  doesn't  care  for 
you?" 

"But  he  does!"  burst  out  Connie  indignantly; 
"  he  cares  for  me  more  than  for  anybody  in  the 
world !  " 

"  How  do  you  know  ?  " 

"  He  's  told  me  so !  There  —  I  ought  n't  to  have 
372 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

told !  I  swore'  I  would  n't  until  after  the  trial.  But 
you  won't  breathe  it,  Miss  Lady?  Promise  you 
won't  even  ask  me  to  tell  you  anything  more?  " 

Miss  Lady  looked  at  her  strangely. 

"  I  know  everybody  is  going  to  disapprove," 
Connie  went  on  recklessly,  "  and  say  horrid  things 
about  him.  But  I  don't  care  if  you  will  just  stand 
by  me.  And  you  will,  won't  you?  " 

Twice  Miss  Lady  tried  to  speak  before  the  words 
would  come,  then : 

"  Yes,"  she  whispered  almost  breathlessly,  "  yes, 
I  promise  to  stand  by  you, —  and  by  him." 

After  Connie  had  gone  she  went  back  to  her  seat 
on  the  railing  and  stared  out  into  the  gathering  night. 
For  the  first  time  in  her  life  the  dark  immensity 
terrified  her.  The  beacon  lights  by  which  she  had 
steered  were  no  longer  visible.  The  great  lonely  sea 
of  life  lay  about  her,  and  she  had  lost  her  course. 

"  Daddy !  "  she  whispered  in  terror,  "  Daddy,  help 
me!" 

But  only  the  faint  cry  of  a  whippoorwill  in  the 
valley  below  answered  her  call.  A  trembling  seized 
her  and  feeling  her  way  to  the  bed  where  Bertie  lay, 
she  crept  in  beside  him,  cuddling  the  soft,  warm 
little  body  close,  and  checking  her  sobs  that  they 
might  not  wake  him.  Long  after  the  whippoorwill 
had  ceased  its  plaint,  she  lay  there  staring  into  the 
darkness,  waiting  for  the  dawn. 

373 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

THE  autumn  sun  struggled  palely  through  the 
windows  of  the  Children's  Hospital,  and  sent 
a  beam  across  the  high  narrow  bed  where  Chick 
Flathers  lay,  suspiciously  watching  the  proceedings 
of  the  attendant  nurses.  He  was  not  at  all  sure 
that  he  had  done  right  in  coming.  For  two  days 
he  had  been  made  to  stay  in  bed,  and  this  morning 
he  had  suffered  his  third  bath  and  been  deprived  of 
his  breakfast.  His  being  there  at  all  was  merely  a 
concession  to  friendship.  Mis'  Queerington  had 
persuaded  him.  He  would  n't  have  come  for  the 
Other  One,  the  fat  one  who  smiled  and  talked  about 
The  Willows  Awful  Home.  He  wouldn't  even 
come  for  Aunt  'Telia,  but  Mis'  Queerington  was 
different;  she  understood  fellows.  She  had  said 
that  the  doctors  would  fix  his  throat  so  that  he  could 
yell  louder  than  any  boy  on  Billy-goat  Hill!  All 
the  suppressed  yells  of  a  dozen  years  quivered  on 
his  lips  at  the  thought  of  it ! 

"  Chick,  here  's  a  orange  and  some  cookies  I 
brought  you."  It  was  Aunt  'Telia  who  sat  down 
by  the  bed  and  took  his  hand.  "If  you  ever  get 

374 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

well  Aunt  'Telia  's  going  to  take  you  to  the  circus, 
or  the  seashore,  or  somewheres." 

The  seashore  presented  no  concrete  idea,  so  Chick 
preferred  to  dwell  upon  the  circus,  but  even  that 
alluring  prospect  could  not  hold  his  attention  while 
so  many  disturbing  things  were  taking  place  about 
him.  One  nurse  had  felt  his  pulse,  another  had  put 
a  glass  tube  in  his  mouth,  and  now  a  third  was 
wheeling  in  a  curious  little  bed  on  wheels. 

He  turned  restlessly  from  the  black-browed,  anx 
ious  face  bending  over  him  to  the  door  where  Mrs. 
Queerington  was  entering.  But  he  knew  by  ex 
perience  that  it  would  be  some  time  before  she 
reached  him.  All  those  other  sick  duffers  would 
want  her  to  talk  to  them,  and  the  nurses  would  stop 
her,  and  the  young  house-doctor  would  claim  a 
flower  for  his  buttonhole.  Chick  hated  them  all  in 
discriminately.  It  seemed  an  hour  before  her 
bright,  reassuring  face  bent  over  him,  and  he  heard 
her  say: 

"  It  won't  be  long,  now,  Chicky  Boy.  Dr.  Wyeth 
will  be  here  soon,  and  they  will  give  you  a  ride  on 
this  funny  little  wagon.  I  wonder  what  Skeeter 
Sheeley  is  doing  about  this  time  ?  Going  to  school, 
I  expect." 

This  diverted  Chick  marvelously.  The  thought 
of  Skeeter  having  to  spend  the  morning  in  the  school 
room,  made  his  own  lot  less  hard. 

375 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  Is  Number  Seventeen  prepared  for  the  opera 
tion  ?  "  he  heard  some  one  ask,  and  at  the  same  mo 
ment  Aunt  'Telia's  fingers  closed  on  his  like  a  vise. 

Then  the  big  doctor,  who  had  brought  him  there, 
appeared  at  the  foot  of  his  bed. 

"Ah,  Mrs.  Queerington !  "  he  was  saying,  "the 
very  sight  of  you  ought  to  hearten  up  these  young 
sters.  But  you  are  still  paler  than  I  like  to  see  you. 
Been  overdoing  again?  " 

She  shook  her  head.  "  I  'm  all  right,  but  what 
about  your  patient?" 

The  doctor  stroked  his  chin  and  appeared  to  be 
interested  in  the  ceiling.  "  Some  rather  grave  com 
plications.  Very  anemic.  Very  little  to  work  on. 
Possibly  an  even  chance.  However  — "  he  shrugged 
his  broad  shoulders.  "  Has  he  any  people?  " 

"  No,  except  this  foster-aunt  who  supports  him. 
Myrtella!" 

But  Myrtella  had  turned  her  back  at  sight  of  the 
doctor,  and  refused  to  look  up. 

Chick  narrowly  watching  the  two  speakers  at  the 
foot  of  the  bed,  and  trying  vainly  to  understand 
what  they  were  saying  about  him,  was  relieved  when 
Dr.  Wyeth  handed  Miss  Lady  a  book  and  said 
lightly : 

"  You  see  that  I,  like  everybody  else,  have  fallen 
a  victim  to  '  Khalil  Samad.'  I  understand  it  is  al 
ready  in  its  tenth  edition.  Young  Morley  has  a 

376 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

career  before  him,  if  he  gets  through  this  trial.     Do 
you  know  when  it  is  set  for?  " 

"  November  the  sixth." 

"  So  soon  as  that  ?  Well,  I  don't  know  the  young 
man,  but  I  hope  he  '11  be  cleared.  I  want  him  to 
write  some  more  books  for  me  to  read.  I  'm  sorry 
Kinner  has  charge  of  the  prosecution.  He  'd  rather 
convict  an  innocent  man  than  a  guilty  one.  All 
right,  my  boy,  I  guess  we  are  ready." 

"  Don't  try  to  get  up !  "  admonished  the  nurse  to 
Chick;  "I'll  lift  you  over." 

But  Chick  scorned  assistance.  Had  n't  he  only 
last  week  valiantly  bucked  the  center  in  a  football 
game  between  the  Bean  Alley  Busters,  and  the 
Shanty  Boat  Bums,  and,  covered  with  mud  and  blood 
and  glory,  been  carried  from  the  field?  They 
needn't  think  because  he  was  little  and  thin  and 
couldn't  talk  that  he  was  a  baby!  He  got  himself 
on  to  the  wheeled  stretcher,  but  refused  to  lie  down. 

"  Let  him  sit  up  then,"  said  Mrs.  Queerington. 
"  He  likes  to  see  where  he  is  going,  don't  you,  Chick  ? 
Here  goes  our  automobile !  Honk !  Honk !  " 

The  nurse  wheeled  him  through  the  tall,  gloomy 
halls,  while  Myrtella  shambled  at  one  side,  clinging 
to  his  hand,  and  wiping  her  eyes.  Miss  Lady  flitted 
along  on  the  other,  telling  him  about  the  new  foot 
ball  that  was  going  to  be  on  his  bed  when  he  woke 
up. 

377 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Then  they  halted,  and  Myrtella  bent  over  him 
wildly.  "  Chick !  "  she  cried,  her  face  suddenly  con 
torted,  "  look  at  me  just  onct  more !  Tell  me  you 
fergive  me,  Chicky !  Oh,  if  they  kill  you  — !  " 

The  stretcher  was  shoved  hastily  into  the  elevator 
and  the  door  closed  on  everybody  but  Chick  and 
the  nurse  and  the  orderly. 

It  was  about  that  time  that  Chick  decided  to  lie 
down.  Where  were  they  taking  him?  What  were 
they  going  to  do  with  him  ?  What  did  Aunt  'Telia 
mean  by  those  strange  words?  Where  had  Mis' 
Squeerington  gone?  With  sudden  quaking  terror 
he  looked  at  the  nurse  and  broke  into  hoarse  inter 
rogatory  sounds. 

"  Here  we  are ! "  she  cried  soothingly,  as  the 
elevator  came  to  a  halt.  "  And  here  's  Dr.  Wyeth 
waiting  for  us." 

"  Well,  my  little  man,"  said  the  large  figure  in 
white,  taking  a  small  cold  hand  in  his  large  strong 
one,  "  we  are  going  to  put  you  to  sleep  and  when 
you  wake  up,  it  will  be  all  over.  You  are  pretty 
game,  are  n't  you?  " 

Chick,  trying  very  hard  to  keep  his  knees  from 
shaking  the  sheet,  nodded  emphatically. 

"  I  thought  so,"  lied  the  doctor  cheerfully,  look 
ing  into  the  terror-stricken  eyes.  "  I  can  almost 
always  tell  when  a  fellow  's  made  out  of  the  right 
sort  of  stuff.  You  don't  wear  false  teeth,  do  you  ?  " 

373 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Chick's  sudden,  toothless  smile  revealed  the  fu 
tility  of  this  question. 

"  That 's  good.  No  danger  of  your  swallowing 
them.  Now  suppose  you  put  this  funnel  over  your 
mouth  and  take  a  big  breath.  That 's  right !  An 
other  one !  That 's  right,  once  more !  " 

Chick  felt  a  hot,  sweet  air  rush  into  his  throat, 
and  began  to  choke.  But  the  doctor's  voice  kept 
saying  insistently,  "  Once  more !  "  "  Once  more, 
my  boy !  "  And  the  doctor  thought  he  was  game. 
He  shut  his  eyes  and  tried  not  to  be  afraid,  but  fear 
ful  things  were  happening!  His  skin  was  leaving 
his  body;  and  he  was  going  up  in  the  air;  lights 
danced  before  his  eyes  and  he  was  suddenly  in  a 
terrible  hurry  about  something.  He  had  never  been 
in  such  a  hurry  before!  He  was  leaving  doctors 
and  nurses  far  below,  he  could  hear  their  voices 
growing  fainter  every  moment.  Then  suddenly  the 
lights  began  to  dance  again,  and  the  hurry  came 
back,  and  all  the  breath  was  being  squeezed  out  of 
him.  No,  he  could  n't  be  game  any  longer !  He 
must  fight !  Savagely,  blindly,  dumbly  he  struggled 
against  this  awful  unknown  thing  that  was  master 
ing  him.  Then,  after  a  last  agonizing  effort  he  sank 
helplessly  into  the  abyss  of  sleep. 

Meanwhile,  on  the  floor  below,  sitting  on  the  cold 
bare  steps  beside  the  door  of  the  elevator,  two  white- 
faced  women  waited  anxiously.  All  was  silent  in 

379 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

the  high,  narrow  corridor  except  for  the  footsteps  of 
passing  nurses,  and  the  occasional  sharp  cry  of  pain, 
or  groan  of  weariness  from  some  suffering  patient. 

"  That 's  him !  "  cried  Myrtella  hysterically  as  one 
of  these  cries  reached  her. 

"  No,  no.  He  is  sound  asleep  by  this  time.  He 
won't  know  anything  until  it  is  all  over."  Then  as 
another  cry  brought  Myrtella  to  her  feet,  Miss  Lady 
added,  "  Please,  Myrtella,  don't  be  so  frightened. 
Those  cries  come  from  the  floor  below." 

Myrtella  shook  off  her  hand  impatiently.  "  How 
long  have  they  been  gone  ?  Why  did  n't  you  tell  me 
they  was  going  to  keep  him  hours  and  hours  ? " 

"  It 's  only  been  twenty  minutes.  I  know  how 
anxious  you  are,  but  you  must  try  to  be  calm.  If 
you  are  n't  they  won't  let  you  go  in  the  room  when 
they  bring  him  down." 

"  Won't  let  me  in  the  room!"  Myrtella's  face 
blazed  with  anger.  "  I  'd  like  to  see  'em  stop  me ! 
Who  's  got  a  better  right  ?  The  doctor  ?  The 
nurse?  You?  There  ain't  none  of  you  got  the 
right  to  him  I  have.  Ain't  I  his  mother  ?  " 

Miss  Lady  looked  at  her  with  amazement,  and 
shrank  instinctively  from  the  desperate,  defiant 
woman. 

"  That 's  right !  "  cried  Myrtella,  almost  beside 
herself.  "  Snatch  your  hand  off  my  arm,  shrink 
away  from  me  like  I  was  a  leper !  Tell  everybody, 

380 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

tell  the  police  that  I  throwed  my  baby  in  the  ash 
barrel  and  abandoned  it!  It  don't  make  no  dif 
ference  now,  nothin'  makes  no  difference  but  Chick. 
Oh,  my  God !  How  long  have  they  been  ?  " 

"  They  will  be  down  very  soon  now,  Myrtella. 
Don't  tear  your  handkerchief  like  that.  Here,  take 
mine.'* 

But  Myrtella's  eyes  were  too  full  of  terror  for 
tears ;  she  sat  with  her  hands  locked  about  .her  knees 
swaying  to  and  fro. 

"I've  never  told  nobody,"  she  went  on  wildly; 
"  all  these  years  I  've  kept  it  bottled  up  in  my  soul 
'til  it 's  eat  it  plumb  out.  I  never  done  it  to  Chick ! 
He  was  n't  Chick  then.  He  was  just  somethin'  that 
belonged  to  a  devil.  Then  he  growed  to  be  Chick, 
and  all  my  hate  turned  to  love,  and  now  God  's 
gittin'  even,  I  knowed  He  would !  He  would  n't  let 
him  live  now,  just  to  spite  me !  " 

"  Myrtella !  "  Miss  Lady's  voice  commanded  in 
dignantly.  "  Don't  you  dare  say  such  things ! 
Who  knows  but  this  very  minute  God  's  giving  Chick 
back  to  you?  Perhaps  He  is  taking  this  way  of 
showing  you  He  forgives  you.  Pray  to  Him,  Myr 
tella  !  Ask  Him  to  do  what 's  best  for  Chick,  what 
ever  it  may  be." 

Myrtella's  head  had  sunken  on  her  knees,  and  her 
coarse,  work-hardened  hands  were  clinging  to  Miss 
Lady's  slender  ones. 

24  381 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Suddenly  they  both  started.  The  elevator  de 
scended  creakingly  and  halted  beside  them.  There 
was  a  shuffling  of  feet  and  the  stretcher  was  wheeled 
past  with  a  small,  white-sheeted  form  lying  motion 
less  upon  it. 

"  It 's  all  over,"  said  Dr.  Wyeth,  following  brisk 
ly.  "  He  put  up  a  pretty  stiff  fight  while  taking 
the  anesthetic,  but  we  downed  him  at  last.  The 
conditions  were  less  serious  than  I  anticipated. 
With  care  and  good  nursing  he  ought  to  get  well 
right  away  now.  Hello !  Here 's  another  pa 
tient!" 

For  Myrtella,  glaring  at  him  through  her  steel- 
rimmed  spectacles,  had  dropped  like  a  log  straight 
across  the  corridor  and  lay  unconscious  with  her 
fly-away  hat  crushed  under  one  ear. 

"  Loosen  her  collar,"  directed  Dr.  Wyeth,  "  and 
bring  me  some  ice  water.  There !  She  '11  come 
around  in  a  minute." 

He  knelt  beside  her  with  his  hand  on  her  pulse, 
looking  at  her  curiously.  Then  he  turned  to  Miss 
Lady : 

"  Queer  how  faces  come  back  to  you.  I  attended 
this  woman  twelve  years  ago,  when  I  was  interne 
in  the  maternity  ward  at  the  City  Hospital." 


382 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

AS  the  sixth  of  November  approached,  Donald 
Morley's  friends  for  the  first  time  became 
seriously  apprehensive  over  the  result  of  his  final 
trial.  The  fact  that  he  had  engaged  an  unknown, 
inexperienced  lawyer  to  cope  with  the  redoubtable 
Kinner,  was  looked  upon  as  his  crowning  folly. 
The  case,  which  had  always  excited  considerable 
local  interest  on  account  of  the  prominence  of  the 
families  involved,  now  became  a  matter  of  much 
graver  significance,  concerning,  as  it  did,  the  author 
of  "  Khalil  Samad/'  the  most  talked-about  book  of 
the  hour. 

Miss  Lady,  alone  at  Thornwood  now,  except  for 
Bertie  and  Myrtella,  fought  through  the  days  as 
best  she  could.  Since  Connie's  confession  she  had 
seen  little  of  her,  for  after  a  round  of  visits  in  the 
Blue  Grass  region,  that  restless  young  person  had 
been  with  friends  in  town,  and  was  still  there  when 
the  date  set  for  the  trial  arrived. 

Up  to  this  time  Miss  Lady  had  conquered  in  the 
hourly  struggle  she  was  making  with  her  own  heart. 
Again  and  again  Donald  had  tried  to  see  her,  but 

383 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

on  one  pretext  or  another  she  had  evaded  him.  She 
was  puzzled,  bewildered,  and  hopelessly  wretched, 
and  she  asked  herself  repeatedly  why  her  happiness 
should  be  sacrificed  for  that  of  a  shallow,  irrespon 
sible  butterfly.  For  Donald,  she  had  no  blame,  he 
had  drifted  into  this  affair  with  Connie  when  his 
need  was  greatest,  and  now  that  his  honor  was  in 
volved  as  well  as  hers,  there  must  be  no  turning 
back. 

But  when  the  second  day  of  the  trial  dawned,  and 
she  came  down  after  a  sleepless  night  to  read  dis 
couraging  news  reports  of  the  previous  day's  pro 
ceedings,  she  found  that  something  stronger  than 
herself  was  taking  possession  of  her.  In  vain  did 
she  try  to  fulfil  her  accustomed  tasks.  Every  atom 
of  her  was  there  in  the  courthouse  beside  Donald 
Morley,  standing  trial  with  him.  Twice  she  flung 
on  her  coat  and  hat,  only  to  take  them  off  again,  and 
stand  at  the  window  impatiently  watching  the  storm. 

For  the  long  summer  had  finally  come  to  an  end. 
After  days  of  radiant  October  sunshine,  when  win 
ter  seemed,  like  the  hereafter,  vague  and  far  off, 
a  wind  came  rushing  out  of  the  north,  stripping  the 
trees  in  a  single  night,  and  leaving  them  surprised 
at  their  sudden  nakedness.  Then  the  sleet  came, 
and,  not  content  with  attacking  trees  and  shrubs, 
must  storm  the  house  itself,  invading  windows  and 
doors,  besieging  every  nook  and  corner,  only  to 

384 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

waste  away  at  last  into  icy  streams  that  went  rat 
tling  noisily  down  the  gutters. 

As  the  morning  wore  on  Miss  Lady  grew  more 
and  more  restless.  Suppose  the  preposterous  should 
happen,  and  for  the  second  time  twelve  honest  men 
should  pronounce  an  innocent  man  guilty?  Could 
Connie  face  the  ignominy  of  the  verdict?  Would 
her  fickle,  inconstant  heart  steady  to  such  a  test? 
Suppose  that  once  again  the  person  on  whom  Don 
ald  Morley  depended,  should  fail  him  in  a  supreme 
hour? 

For  the  third  time  Miss  Lady  threw  on  her  wraps. 
She  could  no  longer  stand  the  suspense,  she  must 
go  to  him,  in  case  he  needed  her. 

"  'Fore  de  Lawd !  "  exclaimed  Uncle  Jimpson 
when  her  intention  was  made  known  to  him.  "  I 
dunno  what  ole  John  '11  think  of  us,  takin'  him  to 
de  station  a  day  lak  dis !  'Sides  de  noon  train  's 
done  went." 

"  Then  we  '11  have  to  drive  to  town.  Hitch  up 
as  quickly  as  you  can !  " 

"  But,  Miss  Lady,  Honey,  you  fergit  de  sleet ! 
Ole  John  'ud  slide  'round  de  road  lak  a  fly  on  a  bald 
spot." 

"  No  matter !     I  'm  going.     Hurry !  " 

Myrtella,  who  was  fashioning  a  dough  man,  un 
der  the  personal  supervision  of  Bert,  looked  up 
indignantly : 

385 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  You  don't  think  you  are  going  out  in  this  storm 
without  no  lunch,  do  you  ?  " 

"  I  can't  eat  anything,  I  'm  not  hungry." 

"  That 's  what  you  said  at  breakfast.  I  ain't  got 
a  bit  of  patience  with  people  that  get  theirselves  sick 
in  bed  and  be  a  nuisance  to  everybody,  just  for  the 
pleasure  of  slopping  around  in  the  slush  on  a  day 
like  this.  I  'm  going  to  fix  you  some  toast  and  a 
egg,  while  he  's  hitchin'  up/' 

"  Go  on  with  the  story,  Telia/'  demanded  Bertie, 
carefully  bestowing  a  nose  on  the  dough  man. 

"  Well,"  resumed  Myrtella,  from  the  stove,  cast 
ing  an  anxious  glance  at  Miss  Lady  who  stood  at 
the  window  impatiently  tapping  the  pane,  "  ever- 
body  was  a  wonderin'  what  would  be  his  very  first 
words,  an'  Dr.  Wyeth  he  sez,  '  Don't  pester  him  to 
talk,  jes'  let  it  come  natural/  One  day  me  an'  the 
nurse,  the  stuck-up  one  I  was  tellin'  you  'bout,  was 
fixin'  to  spray  out  his  throat,  an'  he  look  so  curious 
at  all  the  little  rubber  tubes,  an'  fixin's,  that  she  sez, 
*  You  '11  know  a  lot  when  you  leave  here,  Chick/ 
And  what  do  you  think  he  up  an'  answered?  Just 
as  smart  an'  plain  as  if  he  'd  a  been  talkin'  all  his 
life?" 

"What?"  demanded  Bertie  as  breathlessly  as  if 
he  had  n't  heard  the  story  a  dozen  times. 

"  '  Shucks/  sez  Chick,  '  I  knowed  a  lot  when  I 
come ! '  " 

386 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

Myrtella's  pride  in  this  first  articulation  of  her 
offspring  was  so  great  that  it  rendered  her  oblivious 
to  the  fact  that  the  toast  was  scorching. 

"  When  will  you  be  able  to  bring  Chick  home  ?  " 
asked  Miss  Lady,  gulping  down  the  hot  tea  with  a 
watchful  eye  on  the  stable  door. 

"  Jes'  as  soon  as  the  doctor  quits  foolin'  with  his 
throat  every  day.  He  's  been  gittin'  on  fine  ever' 
since  I  took  him  back  to  Phineas'.  Maria  's  gittin' 
right  stuck  on  him,  now  she  's  got  to  give  him  up. 
Says  she  always  knowed  he  was  smart,  but  she  never 
dreamed  of  the  things  he  had  bottled  up  in  his  head." 

"  I  have  n't  forgotten  about  your  house,"  said 
Miss  Lady  absently.  "  Dr.  Wyeth  knows  a  nice 
place  down  on  Chestnut  Street,  and  says  you  can 
make  a  good  living  letting  the  rooms  to  shopgirls. 
It  is  n't  right  for  me  to  keep  you  out  here  any 
longer." 

"  Well,  I  ain't  goin'  'til  spring."  Myrtella  rat 
tled  the  pans  with  unnecessary  vehemence.  "  Me 
an'  Chick  's  goin'  to  stay  right  here  'til  we  git  you 
settled.  Now  that  Mr.  Gooch  has  got  a  spell  of 
spendin',  an'  is  sendin'  Miss  Hattie  to  college,  I  guess 
she  's  settled  fer  a  spell.  Like  as  not  Miss  Connie  '11 
be  marryin'  some  smart-alecky,  good-fer-nothin'  fel 
low,  then  she  '11  be  settled.  But  what 's  goin'  to 
become  of  you  and  Bertie?" 

Miss  Lady   leaned  impulsively  over  the  child's 

387 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

back  as  he  knelt  in  a  chair  beside  the  table,  and  kissed 
the  bit  of  neck  that  showed  between  the  collar  and 
the  curls :  "  Bert  and  I  ?  "  she  repeated  with  a  little 
catch  in  her  voice ;  "  why,  we  '11  have  to  take  care 
of  each  other,  won't  we,  Bert?  " 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

THE  Flathers'  family  was  indulging  in  a  birth 
day  party.  The  table,  set  in  the  bedroom  so 
that  Chick  might  participate,  was  decorated  at  one 
end  by  a  gorgeous  pink  cake,  bearing  a  single  candle, 
and  at  the  other  by  Loreny  herself,  blue  of  eye,  and 
chubby  of  cheek,  who  crawled  triumphantly  about 
among  the  dishes,  bestowing  equal  attention  on  the 
sugar  bowl  and  the  molasses  jug,  only  pausing  to 
emit  ecstatic  screams  when  a  rough,  red  head  ap 
peared  above  the  table  rim. 

In  the  bed,  propped  on  pillows  and  with  throat 
bandaged,  Chick  executed  a  lively  tune  with  knife 
and  fork  on  his  plate,  while  Maria  Flathers  dedi 
cated  herself  to  the  task  of  preventing  Loreny  May 
from  putting  her  blue-slippered  foot  in  the  butter. 

Without,  the  sleet  pelted  the  windows,  and  the 
red  top  of  Mr.  Iseling's  wagon  waiting  at  the  gate. 
It  whistled  and  rattled  down  Bean  Alley  and  con 
verted  the  telegraph  wires  into  cables  of  ice.  But 
the  Flathers  family,  luxuriating  in  the  unusual  ex 
travagance  of  an  open  fire,  and  cheered  by  the  hi 
larity  of  the  occasion,  was  happily  oblivious  to  the 

389 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

storm  until  a  sharp  rap  at  the  door  brought  the  red 
headed  bear  from  under  the  table  to  answer  the 
summons. 

"Well,  if  it  ain't  Mis'  Squeerington ! "  cried 
Phineas  Flathers  effusively.  "  Out  in  all  this 
storm !  But  I  ain't  surprised.  Did  n't  I  tell  you, 
Maria,  that  I  knowed  she  'd  bring  the  baby  a  birth 
day  present?  Come  up  to  the  fire,  mam.  Maria 
git  her  a  rocker." 

"No,  no!"  cried  Miss  Lady,  breathlessly.  "I 
can't  stay.  I  must  get  to  town.  My  horse  broke 
down  in  the  bridge,  and  I  'm  on  my  way  to  the  Junc 
tion  to  see  if  I  can't  get  on  the  next  train  when  it 
stops  for  water.  I  want  you  to  go  over  and  help 
me  on." 

"  Next  train  don't  stop.  It 's  a  express.  The 
local  ain't  due  fer  a  hour  an'  a  half.  You  ain't  fit 
to  go  on  yit,  mam,  nohow.  I  never  seen  you  all  in 
like  this  before!  Maria,  can't  you  fix  her  up  a  cup 
of  coffee  or  somethin'?  " 

Miss  Lady  shook  her  head,  and  leaned  wearily 
against  the  mantel. 

"  I  '11  be  all  right.  Are  you  sure  about  the 
trains?" 

"  Sure  az  the  taxes.  You  're  in  fer  a  wait,  an' 
we  '11  git  a  nice  little  visit  out  of  you.  Guess  you 
are  'sprised  to  see  me  home  this  time  of  day?  " 

"  I  had  n't  thought  about  it." 
390 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  Well,  you  see  it 's  her  birthday,  an*  tormadoes 
could  n't  'a'  kept  me  from  bringin'  her  a  cake. 
Ain't  she  the  purties'  object  you  ever  set  yer  two 
optics  on  ?  Say  '  Da-da/  Loreny, —  leave  off  talkin' 
to  her,  Chick.  Go  on,  Loreny,  say,  '  Da-da '  fer 
de  purty  lady !  " 

"  He 's  that  silly  about  her,"  said  Maria  Flathers, 
trying  to  conceal  her  own  pride.  "  He  won't  leave 
me  put  anything  but  white  dresses  and  blue  shoes 
on  her,  an'  he  works  extra  time  to  pay  fer  'em, 
Myrtella  says  there  ain't  no  fools  like  old  ones." 

"That's  all  right,"  said  Phineas;  "she'll  have 
more  to  say  when  I  give  Loreny  a  diamond  ring  on 
her  next  birthday.  Iseling  '11  be  givin'  me  a  raise 
soon.  He  's  as  good  as  said  so.  He  knows  I  'm 
good  fer  everything  from  bossin'  a  big  job'to  drivin' 
a  wagon ;  then  look  at  the  trade  I  command !  Why, 
Mis'  Squeerington,  them  Ladies'  Aiders  in  the  Im- 
manuel  Church,  follered  me  solid,  an'  Mrs.  Ivy  an' 
the  Anti-Tobacs  —  Shoo,  I  could  start  out  fer  my- 
self  to-morrow." 

"  It 's  one  o'clock !  "  warned  Maria,  anxious  to 
speed  her  master  on  his  way  in  order  that  she  might 
come  in  for  a  few  conversational  crumbs. 

"  One  o'clock !  Holy  Moses !  I  must  be  hiking, 
if  I  want  to  hear  the  rest  of  the  trial." 

"  The  trial  ?  "  repeated  Miss  Lady  instantly  alert ; 
"  were  you  at  the  courthouse  this  morning?  " 

391 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  Yes,  mam,  I  was.  Everybody  was.  Court 
room  packed  to  the  doors.  I  sez  to  Iseling  this 
morning,  I  sez, '  I  '11  make  the  noon  delivery  all  right, 
but  the  rest  of  the  day  's  my  own.  It  ain't  only  be 
cause  of  my  former  connection  with  the  Sequin 
family/  sez  I ;  '  it 's  because  Mr.  Don  Morley  is  a 
personal  friend  of  mine.  He 's  white  an'  he 's 
square,'  sez  I,  '  an'  the  open-handedest  young  gent 
I  ever  done  a  favor  for.  If  it 's  a  case  of  standin' 
by  him  in  trouble,  or  losin'  my  job/  I  sez,  '  why  ta-ta 
to  the  job!'" 

"  But  when  you  left,"  urged  Miss  Lady,  "  what 
were  they  doing  ?  How  did  people  feel  about  it  ?  " 

"  Mighty  shaky,  mam.  They  ain't  got  a  scrap  of 
good  evidence  fer  him,  an'  enough  ag'in  him  to 
sink  a  ship.  Old  man  Wicker's  son  is  puttin'  up  a 
stiff  fight,  but  he  's  up  aginst  Kinner,  an'  Kinner 
could  convict  St.  Peter  hisself !  " 

"But  can't  they  get  the  truth  out  of  Sheeley? 
Can't  they  force  him  to  tell  what  happened?  " 

Phineas  shrugged  contemptuously :  "  Sheeley 
lost  his  memory  when  he  lost  his  eye.  One  was 
put  out  with  lead,  an'  the  other  with  silver.  Says 
now  he  was  n't  in  the  fight  at  all." 

"  It 's  a  lie !  He  wuz !  "  Chick  had  risen  from 
his  pillow,  and  was  leaning  forward  excitedly. 

"  What  do  you  mean,  Chick  ?  How  do  you 
know?" 

392 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"He  wus  in  the  fight !"  he  cried  huskily.  "It 
was  'tween  him  an'  the  drunk.  Sheeley  ketched  him 
fakin'  a  ace,  an'  he  calls  Sheeley  a  liar,  an'  they  fit 
all  over  the  floor.  The  big  one  was  n't  in  it !  He 
kep'  tryin'  to  stop  'em,  buttin'  in  with  his  whip." 

"  But  how  do  you  know  all  this,  Chick  ?  "  cried 
Miss  Lady  almost  fiercely ;  "  did  the  Sheeley  boy 
tell  you?" 

"Skeeter?  Shucks,  he  don't  know  nothin' 
'ceptin'  what  his  paw  tole  him." 

"But  who  told  you?" 

Chick  closed  his  lips  and  shook  his  head :  "  He  '11 
set  the  cop  on  me." 

"Who?" 

"  Skeeter's  paw.  Fer  smashin'  the  slot  machine. 
But  I  never  took  none  of  his  money,  Mis'  Squeer- 
ington ;  it  was  mine !  "  His  lips  began  to  tremble. 

"  The  cop  won't  get  you,  Chick,"  said  Miss  Lady, 
now  on  her  knees  beside  him,  coaxing  out  each  state 
ment,  and  trying  to  keep  down  her  excitement. 
"  Tell  me,  quick !  How  do  you  know  about  the 
shooting?  " 

"'Cause/'  said  Chick  fearfully,  "I— I  seen 
it!" 

"Well,  if  that  ain't  the  limit!"  said  Phineas, 
while  Maria  gathered  Loreny  up  under  the  impres 
sion  that  Chick  had  lost  his  mind,  and  might  be 
come  dangerous. 

393 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  I  got  shut  up  in  the  saloon,"  continued  Chick, 
evidently  torn  between  the  desire  to  be  a  hero  and 
the  fear  of  the  consequences,  "  an'  it  was  night,  an' 
I  went  to  sleep." 

"  Yes,  yes!  "  pressed  Miss  Lady;  "  go  on." 

"  Then  they  come  in  an'  got  to  rough-housin'  an' 
I  crawl  up-stairs  an'  lay  on  me  stommick  an'  peek 
through  the  crack.  An'  Sheeley  an'  the  Drunk  they 
got  to  scrappin'  like  I  tole  you.  An'  then  while  the 
big  one  was  tryin'  to  git  Sheeley  to  quit,  the  Drunk 
he  come  over  to  the  door  right  where  I  was  layin'  at, 
an'  he  steady  hisself  aginst  the  wall  an'  bang  loose 
at  Sheeley  with  a  pistol." 

"  Would  you  know  the  Big  One  again  ?  Oh, 
Chick,  try  to  remember  what  he  looked  like !  " 

Chick  shook  his  head,  "  Naw,  I  don't  'member 
what  none  of  'em  looked  like.  But  you  know  which 
one  he  was;  he  gimme  the  silver  knob  offen  his 
whip." 

Miss  Lady  sprang  to  her  feet :  "  We  must  get 
him  to  the  courthouse,  Mr.  Flathers.  Quick! 
Help  me  with  his  clothes.  I  '11  put  on  his  shoes  and 
stockings." 

"  But  the  train  — "  began  Phineas. 

"  We  can't  wait  for  it !  "  cried  Miss  Lady.  "  You 
must  drive  us  in  the  wagon."  In  a  surprisingly  few 
minutes  Chick,  bewildered  but  interested,  was  fully 
clothed.  "  Give  me  the  blankets  off  the  bed  and 

394 


"Tell  me  quick!     How  do  you  know  about  the  shooting? 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

help  me  wrap  them  around  him,"  said  Miss  Lady. 
"  There !  You  carry  him  and  I  '11  hold  the  um 
brella.  Keep  your  mouth  shut,  Chick;  don't  you 
dare  open  it  until  I  tell  you." 

The  bewildered  Chick,  encased  like  a  mummy, 
was  rushed  out  to  the  wagon  and  deposited  between 
two  ice-cream  freezers,  while  Miss  Lady  knelt  be 
side  him,  trying  to  shield  him  from  the  wind.  Just 
as  Phineas  was  driving  away  there  was  a  call  from 
the  cottage. 

For  the  first  and  only  time  in  her  life  Maria 
Flathers  had  collided  with  an  idea.  In  vain  she  re 
versed  her  mental  engines  and  tried  to  back  off,  but 
the  collision  was  head  on,  and  she  and  the  idea  were 
firmly  welded  together. 

"  Here's  the  whip  han'le!"  she  called  wildly,  as 
the  wind  caught  her  skirts  and  twisted  them  about 
her.  "  I  been  usin'  it  fer  a  thimble.  An'  here  's 
the  whip  itself  — •  Take  'em  along !  Take  'em  fer  a 
witness!  " 

Once  again  the  red-topped  wagon  got  started,  this 
time  in  earnest.  Through  the  mud  and  slush  of 
Bean  Alley,  past  the  Dump  Heap,  across  the  Com 
mon,  the  sturdy  little  mare  dashed  furiously. 

"  Don't  breathe  through  your  mouth,  Chick !  " 
implored  Miss  Lady.  "  And  don't  be  afraid.  All 
you  have  to  do  is  to  tell  what  you  saw.  Don't  keep 
back  anything,  tell  it  just  as  you  told  it  to  me." 

397 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"'Bout  the  slot  machine?"  queried  an  anxious 
voice  from  the  blankets. 

"  About  everything.  Nobody  is  going  to  hurt 
you,  or  blame  you.  You  are  n't  catching  cold,  are 
you  ?  Here  put  on  my  gloves,  and  you  must  n't 
talk,  not  another  word." 

For  an  interminable  time  they  splashed  through 
the  slush  of  the  road,  before  they  came  to  the  pave 
ments  of  the  city.  Looking  out  of  the  wagon,  they 
could  see  the  broad  yellow  waters  of  the  river  with 
its  long,  black  coal  barges,  and  the  dim  outline  of 
Billy-goat  Hill,  growing  fainter  in  the  distance. 

"  Faster,  Mr.  Flathers,  drive  faster !  "  implored 
Miss  Lady. 

Phineas  willingly  laid  the  whip  across  the  flank 
of  the  little  mare,  and  they  dashed  along,  through 
the  crowded  thoroughfare  into  a  broad  street  of 
warehouses,  where  they  followed  the  tramway 
straight  across  the  murky  city.  All  the  while  the 
sleet  beat  on  the  red  top  of  the  wagon  and  rattled 
under  the  horse's  hoofs,  and  Miss  Lady  sat  clasping 
Chick,  counting  the  passing  moments. 

At  last  the  dark  courthouse  loomed  up  ahead  of 
them,  and  Phineas  rounding  a  curb  by  a  fraction, 
dashed  for  the  open  square. 

"  Morley  case  gone  to  the  jury?  "  he  hung  half 
out  of  the  wagon  to  shout  to  a  man  coming  down 
the  wide  steps. 

398 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  Not  yet." 

Miss  Lady  was  already  frantically  pulling  the 
blankets  from  the  submerged  Chick. 

"  Wait  for  Mr.  Flathers  to  carry  you,"  she  cried, 
springing  to  the  ground  and  looking  up  at  him 
anxiously.  "  Remember  you  are  going  to  tell  them 
everything.  You  are  helping  to  save  Mr.  Morley, 
and  you  're  doing  it  for  me." 

The  eyes  of  the  pale,  spindle-legged  child,  stand 
ing  in  the  end  of  the  wagon,  flashed  past  the  court 
house  to  the  barred  windows  of  the  adjoining  jail. 
Suddenly  his  legs  fell  to  shaking  harder  even  than 
they  had  shaken  at  the  hospital,  and  his  lips  quivered 
threateningly. 

"  Chick !  "  cried  Miss  Lady  despairingly.  "  You 
are  n't  going  to  fail  me  —  you  are  going  to  stand 
by  me,  are  n't  you  ?  " 

For  a  moment  he  shut  his  eyes  very  tight,  then 
he  transferred  the  small  quid  of  tobacco  which  had 
been  his  one  solace  in  the  past  hour,  from  his  right 
cheek  to  his  left. 

"  Sure!  "  he  said  resolutely. 


399 


CHAPTER  XXX 

ONE!  two!  three!  four!" 
The  big  clock  that  had  ticked  away  so  many 
anxious  moments  for  so  many  anxious  watchers, 
hurled  its  announcement  over  the  crowded  court 
room.  The  last  testimony  had  been  given,  Chick 
had  told  his  story,  produced  his  proofs  and  identi 
fied  Morley;  the  prosecuting  attorney  had  torn  his 
story  to  tatters,  and  confused  the  youthful  witness 
hopelessly;  the  counsel  for  the  defense  had  now 
risen  to  make  his  final  speech  to  the  jury.  Suspense 
hung  thick  as  a  fog  over  the  court  room. 

Miss  Lady,  sitting  between  Mr.  Gooch  and  Con 
nie,  pushed  back  her  short  black  veil  impatiently. 
The  hours  she  had  fought  through  since  midnight 
seemed  as  nothing  compared  to  this  eternity  of  wait 
ing.  Since  entering  the  room  she  had  not  once 
looked  at  Donald.  She  dared  not  open  even  a  tiny 
sluice  in  the  dike  that  held  back  the  sea  of  her  love. 
But  in  every  fiber  of  her  being  she  felt  him  sitting 
there  under  suspicion,  his  future  in  the  hands  of 
twelve  men  who  had  the  power  of  making  him  suffer 
the  penalty  of  a  crime  which  he  had  not  committed. 

400 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

It  was  unjust,  cruel,  infamous!  Surge  after  surge 
of  indignation  swept  over  her.  She  would  fight  for 
him  against  them  all.  She  would  get  up  and  tell 
what  she  knew  of  the  story,  and  his  reason  for  stay 
ing  abroad. 

"  Is  n't  he  magnificent  ?  "  whispered  Connie,  clasp 
ing  her  arm ;  "  he  has  been  perfectly  calm  and  quiet 
like  that  all  along,  and  yet  think  what  it  means  to 
him !  Look  at  his  eyes !  " 

Miss  Lady  could  not  look,  the  grip  at  her  throat 
was  tightening  and  a  dull  roar  sounded  in  her  ears. 

"But  if  he  loses,  Connie?  If  he  loses,  what 
then?" 

"  He  won't  lose.  He 's  going  to  win.  You 
ought  to  have  heard  him  this  morning.  ,He  was  per 
fectly  magnificent !  Even  Mr.  Gooch  said  he  made 
him  think  of  Lincoln.  Listen  to  him  now !  " 

Miss  Lady  followed  Connie's  adoring  gaze  until 
it  rested  on  the  stern,  earnest  face  of  Noah  Wicker, 
then  the  truth  rushed  upon  her. 

For  a  moment  a  blindness  seized  her,  then  she 
sprang  to  her  feet  and  lifted  her  face  to  Don.  He 
had  been  waiting  for  that  look  ever  since  she  entered 
the  court  room,  and  when  it  came  he  was  ready 
for  it. 

As  Noah  Wicker  sat  down  amid  a  thunder  of  ap 
plause,  and  the  jury,  after  a  brief  charge  from  the 
bench  made  ready  to  retire,  a  slender,  black-gowned 

401 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

figure  pushed  her  way  impetuously  through  the 
crowd.  She  circled  the  rear  seats  and  rushed  head 
long  to  where  the  defendant  sat. 

"Are  you  a  member  of  Mr.  Morley's  family?" 
asked  the  deputy  sheriff. 

"  No,"  said  Miss  Lady,  brushing  him  aside,  "  but 
I  'm  going  to  be." 


402 


CHAPTER  XXXI 

THAT  evening  Mr.  Gooch  went  home  with  the 
Ivys  whom,  as  he  was  now  adrift,  he  pur 
posed  adopting.     For  a  long  time  they  sat  over  the 
fire  discussing  the  exciting  events  of  the  day. 

"  I  could  scarcely  believe  my  eyes,"  murmured 
Mrs.  Ivy,  "  when  at  the  verdict,  '  Not  Guilty,'  I  saw 
her  fling  her  arms  about  his  neck ! " 

"  Why  surprised  ? "  snapped  the  attorney. 
"  Are  n't  women  born  fatuous  ?  " 

"  But  the  whole  thing  is  so  indelicate,  so  heart 
less!  A  young  widow  who  ought  to  be  mourning 
beside  her  husband's  grave,  and  a  wild  young  man 
who  has  just  escaped  the  penitentiary.  Has  n't  suf 
fering  taught  them  anything?  " 

Gerald,  sitting  on  a  hassock  before  the  fire  with 
hands  clasped  about  his  knees,  looked  up  with 
shining  eyes: 

"You  don't  understand,  Mater!  All  this  has 
been  the  price  they  Ve  paid  for  each  other.  A  great 
love  like  theirs  comes  high.  One  must  pay  for  it 
with  suffering.  Jove,  it  was  worth  it!  That  one 
look" they  gave  each  other,  there  at  the  end  — " 

403 


A  ROMANCE  OF  BILLY-GOAT  HILL 

"  But  the  dear,  dear  Doctor,"  interrupted  Mrs. 
Ivy,  "  laid  away  only  seven  months  ago!  " 

"  Six  months  and  three  weeks,"  corrected  Mr. 
Gooch  testily. 


THE    END 


404 


THIS  BOOK 


OVERDUE.  *'-°0     ON     THE 


LD  2l-lOOm-8,'34 


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